Roald Dahl, famed for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda, crafted worlds of dark humor, mischievous heroes, and villainous adults that still captivate readers. Adventurer, World War II fighter pilot, inventor, eccentric, and husband of actress Patricia Neal, Dahl’s adult fiction revealed a darker and sharper wit. Unconventional to the end, he requested to be buried with his snooker cues and a good bottle of wine. Historian Daniel Stashower and actor Scott Sedar celebrate Dahl’s extraordinary life and work.
President Michael Douglas? President Gene Hackman? President Harrison Ford? Hollywood has long imagined Oval Office leaders, and film historian Max Alvarez guides audiences through nine decades of cinematic presidential portrayals. From failed box office attempts in the 1930s and ’40s, to JFK-era thrillers, Clinton-era dramas, and more complex depictions in “The West Wing,” “House of Cards,” and “VEEP,” Alvarez explores how film and television shaped presidential images. Expect dueling Nixons and LBJs in this lively multimedia lecture.
The English painters, poets, and critics who gave birth to the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in 1848 sought to reform art by rejecting what they called the melodramatic style of High Renaissance artists like Raphael. In a full-day seminar, art historian Bonita Billman traces this fascinating movement from its origins to flowering conclusion and also examines its influence on the Arts and Crafts movement and its legacy of beauty. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)
Historian Alexander Mikaberidze looks beyond the caricature of the frivolous queen to rediscover Marie Antoinette as a complex political actor—a woman negotiating power, motherhood, and identity in an age of revolution. Drawing on art, private correspondence, and contemporary accounts, he re-examines how Marie Antoinette’s image was constructed, weaponized, and ultimately transformed from royal scapegoat to enduring cultural icon.
From ancient gods and goddesses to timeless heroic narratives, classical myths have long shaped artistic expression—but how do these age-old stories resonate in modern and postmodern art? Art historian Jennie Hirsh explores the surprisingly vital and often overlooked role of classical mythology in contemporary art, showing how artists use these stories not just to illustrate, but to engage with questions of identity, power, gender, and society. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
This spring, 55 colorful carved horses—plus one dragon—will again canter in circles on the National Mall when the Smithsonian Institution’s historic carousel returns after two years of restoration work. Built in 1947, the carousel was moved to the National Mall in 1981. After the Smithsonian purchased it in December 2022, restoration and fabrication experts Carousels and Carvings disassembled the carousel to begin repairing and restoring it. Company owner and president Todd Goings illuminates the intricate process of refurbishing the carousel.
Smithsonian Chamber Music Society audiences are privy to the unparalleled experience of being able to hear two magnificent quartets of instruments—one made by Antonio Stradivari, the other by his teacher Nicoló Amati—in this popular four-concert series on Saturdays. This concert features music composed by Haydn, Bartók, and Beethoven.
Ages 6 to 11. The Science Guys of Baltimore are back to teach us about the wild world of weather!
