Bologna is home to some of Italy’s most important art, including works by Michelangelo, Annibale Carracci, Lavinia Fontana, Domenichino, and Guercino. Rocky Ruggiero, an expert in Renaissance art, explores the city’s artistic treasures and great artists. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Brutalism, an architectural style emphasizing clarity in presentation of materials which emerged during the 1950s, played a key role in the rebuilding of devastated European cities in the wake of WWII, and remained influential globally into the 1970s. With hallmarks including raw, unpainted concrete; exposed brick and steel; and glass employed in new and unconventional ways, Brutalist buildings appeared striking and arresting to some but soulless monstrosities to others. Bill Keene traces the spread of the style and examines its many facets, including some surprising twists to stereotypical structures and a recent revival of interest in the style. (World History Art Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
In January 1939, Pablo Picasso was renowned in Europe but disdained by many in the United States. One year later, the public clamored to view the groundbreaking exhibition Picasso: Forty Years of His Art, which launched Picasso in America and defined the Museum of Modern Art as we know it. Author and senior editor at Foreign Affairs Hugh Eakin reveals how a single exhibition irrevocably changed American taste, and in doing so saved dozens of the 20th century’s most enduring artworks from the Nazis. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
The Smithsonian Institution has shaped the character of the National Mall since 1855. Washington’s most beloved museums offer a panorama of American architecture, with each unique building a study all its own. Carolyn Muraskin of DC Design Tours investigates the style, design, controversy, construction, and fascinating backstory behind these celebrated museums. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
The Christmas story has inspired some of the most affectionate, gentle, and intimate images in the history of Western art. How the biblical narrative was portrayed in Renaissance art dramatically evolved over time, mirroring changes in society and shifts in religious attitude. Moving from a narrow, sacred vision of mother and child to a full-blown cast of humans and animals, Renaissance art historian Elaine Ruffolo offers a lavishly illustrated exploration of the Christmas story as told through painting. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Art historian Elaine Ruffolo leads a virtual stroll through the streets, piazzas, and alleyways of Renaissance Florence that served as vibrant arenas for social encounters, business transactions, political discourse, and everyday interactions. Discover how ordinary Florentines lived, from the organization of their society to the intimate details of their homes—and the connections between our lives today and theirs of over 500 years ago. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Art historian Ursula Rehn Wolfman leads an art-filled weekend escape to Manhattan that highlights early 20th-century Modernist artists and their works. You’ll have plenty of time to take in several of the most intriguing exhibitions at three cultural powerhouses—and a night on the town to enjoy as you like. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)
Art historian Laura Morelli unfolds the remarkable story of how an ambitious 20-something sculptor turned a discarded chunk of marble into a masterpiece, singlehandedly transforming Florence and the history of art. She examines how Michelangelo merged a biblical hero and an ancient god to create an image custom-made for the aspirations of the Italian Renaissance. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Over the course of the last century, the work of two architectural giants, Frank Lloyd Wright and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, responded to nature in very different ways influencing other architects as well as builders and clients. In a three-part series, architectural professionals examine how contemporary architecture draws on the legacies of these groundbreakers in structures that integrate nature and eco-friendly considerations into their designs. This session highlights Frank Lloyd Wright. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
This course examines fundamental concepts of composition and their practical application in studio-art practice, offering participants tools to enrich their work as well to analyze and appreciate visual art in general. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
In an introduction to the traditional arts of the Islamic world, museum consultant Sabiha Al Khemir provides an overview of objects across media including calligraphy, painting, ceramics, metalwork, and textiles. Her survey examines the essence of Islamic art from the 9th to 19th centuries in the context of the cultures that produced it, connecting the various aspects present throughout different forms and identifying artistic styles and their cultural significance. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Dance is everywhere in the arts of the Indian cultural world. The exhibition “Beyond Bollywood: 2000 Years of Dance in Art” at Seattle’s Asian Art Museum highlighted the rich meanings and ideas that dance has conveyed over the last two millennia. Co-curator Forrest McGill examines artworks from across the breadth of Southern Asia that reveal the enduring capacity of dance to inspire a diverse range of artists and audiences. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
The life-size terracotta figures created for China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi, were buried in battle formation by the thousands to accompany him in the afterlife. Robert DeCaroli, art history professor at George Mason University, explores this ruler who founded an empire and profoundly shaped the visible expression of Chinese imperial power for centuries to come. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
In the heart of the Renaissance, love and marriage were celebrated with unparalleled fervor, resulting in the creation of some of history's most iconic artworks. Bonds of love of another sort were represented during this period as well in erotic drawings and prints. Art historian Elaine Ruffolo illuminates the tradition of commemorating love and marriage through masterpieces by artists including Giulio Romano, Lorenzo Lotto, and Titian. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Arts journalist Richard Selden leads a visit to Baltimore to experience “Ethiopia at the Crossroads” at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. The special exhibition celebrates the artistic traditions of Ethiopia and is the first major art exhibition in America to examine Ethiopian art in a global context. After an authentic Ethiopian lunch, visit an Ethiopian Orthodox church to explore this ancient culture more deeply. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
In this class, learn the strategies artists such as Rembrandt, Daumier, Cézanne, and Van Gogh used to harness light and unify, intensify, and give dimension to their images. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Using watercolor, learn the strategies Morisot, Turner, Monet, and Cézanne employed to harness light in their images. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
As a painter, printmaker, draughtsman, caricaturist, and illustrator, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec found rich subjects in the colorful whirl of Paris during the Belle Époque. Its streets, theaters, and cabarets inspired a significant collection of provocative images of his modern—and often decadent—times. Art historian Joseph Paul Cassar surveys Lautrec’s paintings and posters within the context of life in Montmartre which attracted Lautrec and many other artists for its bohemian freedom. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Over more than a century, three generations of Wyeths of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, have created a collective portrait of America. Art historian Bonita Billman traces the family tradition reflected in their disparate subjects and styles. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Throughout its millennial history, Sicily’s complex culture, language, art and architecture, customs, and masterful cuisine have been shaped by a myriad of settlers and colonizers. In a richly illustrated day-long seminar, art historian Nigel McGilchrist, reconstructs and analyzes the intricate web that unites these disparate influences, which make Sicily for many the most seductive and fascinating destination in Europe. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)
Students are introduced to the world of the photo surrealists and explore how they pushed the boundaries of photographic imagery in the 1920s to 1940s. Create a surrealist collage as part of the experience. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Over the course of the last century, the work of two architectural giants, Frank Lloyd Wright and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, responded to nature in very different ways influencing other architects as well as builders and clients. In a three-part series, architectural professionals examine how contemporary architecture draws on the legacies of these groundbreakers in structures that integrate nature and eco-friendly considerations into their designs. This session highlights Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
The disenchantment of modern times is often reflected in art that mires the spirit in darkness. But artists of other eras chose to confront the dark side of their world with the compelling force of wonder despite the inequality, poverty, and violence that surrounded them. Art historian Liz Lev highlights how creators like Giotto, Bernini, and Monet wrestled with their own catastrophic times to instill hope and spark amazement. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
The name Bloomsbury conjures up an image of early 20th-century bohemia whose literati included Virginia Woolf. But artists also were in the circle, and Woolf’s sister Vanessa Bell, critic and painter Roger Fry, Duncan Grant, and Dora Carrington formed the nucleus of visual Bloomsbury. Curator Nancy Green delves into this tight-knit group of artists and friends and their place in the pantheon of 20th-century Modernism. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
The oeuvre of pioneering French Modernist Henri Matisse—created across more than five decades—includes a wide range of materials and styles, from exquisite tiny etchings to enormous cast-bronze sculpture to designs for religious vestments and stained-glass windows. Art historian Nancy G. Heller examines how all of Matisse’s diverse output shares certain critical elements of his aesthetic philosophy and why his work continues to fascinate today’s creative minds. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Astrophysicist and author Mario Livio examines the intimate link between Leonardo’s art and his scientific experiments and observations. As he explores how he used his science to advance his art, and his art to inspire and to present his science, Livio brings together all Leonardo’s facets to create a portrait of the quintessential Renaissance Man. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
The Bargello Museum houses what is arguably the world's greatest collection of Renaissance sculptures. Renaissance art expert Rocky Ruggiero delves into the history of the 13th-century building that houses the collection as well as the sculptural masterpieces that it contains. Among them are works by Michelangelo, Lorenzo Ghiberti, Filippo Brunelleschi, Donatello, and Verrocchio. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
From the 8th through the 19th centuries, Shinto and Buddhist traditions and institutions intermingled in Japan. Buddhism used images to spread its teachings and assimilate with local religions. This practice affected the veneration of kami (broadly defined as spirits of nature) in Shinto, which originally did not use such depictions. Art historian Yui Suzuki describes the synthesis of kami veneration and Buddhist worship. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Over the course of the last century, the work of two architectural giants, Frank Lloyd Wright and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, responded to nature in very different ways influencing other architects as well as builders and clients. In a three-part series, architectural professionals examine how contemporary architecture draws on the legacies of these groundbreakers in structures that integrate nature and eco-friendly considerations into their designs. This session highlights 21st-century architecture. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Working primarily in New York City in the late-19th and early-20th centuries, artists George Bellows, William Glackens, Robert Henri, George Luks, Everett Shinn, and John Sloan realistically depicted what they saw. Their paintings didn’t glamorize or prettify but captured the city with its gritty underbelly exposed. Art historian Bonita Billman explores the unvarnished truths they revealed about modern life. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Frank Lloyd Wright left an indelible signature on the American Midwest: a legacy of buildings that trace the arc of his career as one of the world’s most significant and innovative architects. This 5-day tour led by historian Bill Keene offers a one-of-kind opportunity for a close-up look at a wide range of Wright’s designs in Illinois and Wisconsin, as well as visits to seminal works by other architects of the early and mid-20th century. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)
