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Camille Pissarro was in many ways an odd man out among the Impressionist fold. He was Jewish, a native of St. Thomas, and older than his fellow artists Monet, Renoir, and Sisley, though he remained faithful to their avant-garde style. Art historian Bonita Billman examines Pissarro’s landscapes and genre subjects and surveys his range of materials and forms including charcoal drawings, watercolors, etchings, and oil paintings. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
How could a lowly Florentine preacher almost singlehandedly overthrow the mighty Medici family at the height of the Italian Renaissance and unleash the Bonfire of Vanities that consigned priceless paintings, books, and jewelry to flames? Historian Janna Bianchini tells the story of the impassioned Girolamo Savonarola’s unexpected rise; his domination of the city as the head of a ruthless theocracy; and his meteoric fall.
Attempts to answer the questions “How did life on Earth begin?” and “Are we alone in the universe?” have opened extraordinarily vibrant and dynamic frontiers of investigation. Astrophysicist Mario Livio examines how the quest for cosmic life follows two parallel, independent lines of research: laboratory studies aimed at determining if life can emerge from pure chemistry, and advanced astronomical observations searching for signs of life beyond Earth.
Ancient Sparta—in its time the most feared of city-states because of its military prowess and the most praised for the political consistency and social stability it provided to its citizens—has been portrayed by political scientists as the model for totalitarian 20th-century dictatorships in Germany, Russia, Italy, and China. Classicist John Prevas analyzes ancient Sparta’s approaches to education, government, and social relations; draws parallels to modern dictatorships; and considers whether it could become the model for a repressive American future.
Rivalries can be contentious and destructive, but they can also help fuel great works of art. The competitions between artistic titans of the 16th century—Michelangelo and Raphael, Caravaggio and Annibale Carracci, and Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini—all contributed to an extraordinary transformation of Rome. Renaissance art historian Elaine Ruffolo surveys how the hallmarks of these artists who challenged each other’s genius are still visible in the buildings, paintings, and sculpture of the city. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
In 2019, eight buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright were added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. They span six decades of his long career and include significant residential, religious, and institutional buildings constructed between 1905 and 1959. Bill Keene, a lecturer in urban studies, architecture, and history, reviews the nature of the UNESCO list, its criteria for inclusion, and the steps in the more than 15-year nominating process needed to consider the architect’s buildings for designation.
As far back as Thomas Jefferson's attempts to recreate some of his favorite European wines, Virginia has a storied history of viticulture. Now, new generations of winemakers are pushing the state’s wine to even greater heights. Sommelier Erik Segelbaum introduces some of the newest and most exciting wines Virginia has to offer. The immersive program includes a curated personal tasting kit to enhance the experience.
Two centuries of archaeological excavation and exploration have revealed that ancient Israel’s neighbors—Egypt, Canaan, Aram, Assyria, and Babylonia—all contributed significantly to its history, from its origins through the Babylonian exile and beyond. Biblical narratives reflect connections to these ancient cultures. In an illustrated all-day program, biblical scholar Gary Rendsburg explores how the people who left us the Bible were informed by other civilizations and how these influences are reflected in its books.
The Southwest Waterfront has been a backdrop for history since the neighborhood’s origins in the 1770s. Over the centuries the waterfront has seen booming commercial growth, weathered decades of decline, and faced the challenges of urban renewal in the 1950s. Today, a new wave of development is again changing the fabric of Southwest Washington. Carolyn Muraskin, founder of DC Design Tours, explores the planning history of the Southwest Waterfront and some of its architectural highlights.
The Allied invasion of Sicily in July and August 1943, codenamed Operation Husky, was the largest combined amphibious operation in history. While it was successful and led to the fall of the Mussolini regime, it resulted in tough and sometimes costly lessons in warfare that would prove valuable in the planning and execution of Operation Overlord the following June. Kevin Weddle, professor emeritus of military theory and strategy at the U.S. Army War College, examines a critically important operation that played a major, but often forgotten role, in the Allies’ ultimate success in World War II in Europe.
