In this class, learn the strategies artists such as Rembrandt, Daumier, Cézanne, and Vermeer used to harness light and unify, intensify, and give dimension to their images. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
As the Mexican Revolution drew to a close in 1920, Mexico’s new democratic government commissioned public murals depicting what the nation could look like. They were painted by many artists, most notably José Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera, and David Alfaro Siqueiros. Soon works by the three artists and others influenced by them appeared outside Mexico, too. Using the imagery and influences of works painted by Orozco, Siqueiros, and Rivera in the U.S., Walters Art Museum curator Ellen Hoobler explores how the ancient Americas and modern politics intertwined in 1930s and ‘40s public murals in the United States. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
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.
When figures represent abstract concepts—such as justice, envy, or time—an artwork enters the world of allegory. Art historian Noah Charney breaks down how allegories were constructed by artists and contrasts Titian’s straightforward Allegory of Prudence with a brilliant and baffling painting by Bronzino, Allegory with Venus and Cupid, a multilayered complex riddle. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Millions of American GIs served in the European Theater of Operations during the Second World War, fighting their way through Italy, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands before pushing into Germany itself. Most were not professional soldiers, but ordinary young men drafted and sent overseas to confront one of the most formidable armies in history. Historian Christopher Hamner explores the experience of these ground troops—nicknamed “dogfaces”—from their stateside training and transatlantic journey to the brutal and bewildering realities of combat on the European continent.
In the late 14th century, the Catholic Church became a house divided against itself when it was confronted by two popes claiming to be the rightful heir of St. Peter. The crisis persisted for decades and even led to the election of a third pope. What has become known as the Papal Schism or the Western Schism weakened the papacy and had long-lasting effects. Historian John Freymann examines the context and causes of the schism and highlights the theological and ecclesiastical consequences of this episode in the history of Catholicism.
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.
The teacher introduces students to works of Degas, Renoir, Cassatt, and other masters of pastel. Instruction in a variety of techniques helps you on your way to an inspired pastel art adventure.
