The reign of Queen Elizabeth II was exceptional for many reasons, including her remarkable longevity, her enduring marriage to Prince Philip, and her success in concealing her opinions on virtually any contentious subject. For many people, she embodied dutifulness, service, and continuity in a rapidly changing world. Historian Sir David Cannadine puts the life of Elizabeth II in perspective, set against a broad domestic and international context.
The Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice, situated next to the Church of San Rocco, is the seat of the religious society named for San Rocco established in 1478. Over the next decade, the scuola became the richest in the city, so its members decided to construct a monumental building and hire Tintoretto to decorate it. Italian Renaissance art expert Rocky Ruggiero showcases several of the scuola’s more than 60 paintings, many done by Tintoretto and his workshop. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Artistic patronage was an important tool in a Renaissance pope’s arsenal, employed both to display power and to communicate and persuade. Art historian Liz Lev looks at the fruitful connection between popes and art from the halcyon days of 15th-century Popes Sixtus IV and Julius II to the Enlightenment era, examining a variety of masterworks including the Laocoön statue and frescoes by Botticelli and Raphael. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Learn the fundamentals of floral arranging as this class covers essential base mechanics, sourcing flowers, working with seasonal blooms, and photographing your work.
Behind the grandeur of the Tudor throne lurked a deep fascination with alchemy, astrology, and signs from the divine. Major events such as marriages, coronations, treaties, and military campaigns were often timed according to favorable alignments of the stars. Historian Cheryl White unlocks a hidden world of power where monarchs sometimes navigated political intrigue with the assistance of the dark currents of occult belief.
For centuries, mariners spun tales of gargantuan waves in the open ocean, annihilating walls of water measuring 100 feet high or taller. Though once dismissed as impossible, new evidence has led oceanographers to determine that we have underestimated how the seas behave at their most ferocious. Journalist and author Susan Casey provides a look at these colossal, ship-swallowing rogue waves—noting that as scientists scramble to understand this phenomenon, others, including extreme surfers, view the giant waves as the ultimate challenge.
Few national cinemas offer as compelling a mirror to social transformation as Italy’s. In the decades following World War II, Italian filmmakers shaped a legacy of innovation, reflection, and artistry that still resonates on the global stage. In a four-part series, art historian Jennie Hirsh explores pivotal moments in Italian cinema, from the birth of Neorealism to the bold experimentation of contemporary filmmakers, and how they captured—and questioned—their time. This session focuses on Italian filmmaking from the 1990s to today.
The Mediterranean island of Malta has a rich past that reaches back some 7,000 years—a culture that thrived well before the pyramids of Egypt. Art historian Joseph Paul Cassar, who was born on Malta, surveys its geography, history, and heritage as well as its vibrant modern and contemporary art. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)
