In the 15th and 16th centuries, portraits played a vital role in every aspect and stage of human life. Renaissance art historian Elaine Ruffolo provides fresh insights into fundamental issues of likeness, memory, and identity as she reveals a remarkable community of personalities—from princes, envoys, and merchants to clergymen, tradesmen, and artists—whose faces speak to us of their times and lives. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
In the mid-20th century, America overtook Europe as the world’s foremost designer and producer of costume jewelry. What uniquely American social and historic trends propelled the demand for and design of mass-produced, affordable jewelry? Phyllis Gerstell, a decorative arts historian and costume jewelry expert and collector, joins curator Elizabeth Lay to explore the beauty and history of a now largely vanished American art form. This program is part of a fall Lunchtime with a Curator series. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Expressionism as an artistic movement developed in the early 20th century, a period in which new and influential explorations of psychology and human behavior were taking place. Artists began to look at the world more subjectively, often distorting its depictions to achieve an emotional effect in artworks that still hold a power to move and challenge viewers. Art historian Joseph Paul Cassar traces the movement’s roots, meaning, influences, and most notable practitioners. (World Art History Certificate core course, 1 credit)
It seems popular these days to claim that free will is an illusion—that our brains or our genes or even just the laws of physics determine our actions. Neuroscientist Kevin Mitchell argues that these claims are hollow and traces the role evolution has played in the development of free will.
Animals’ color tells us where they belong in a classification scheme and plays a role in the ecology and behavior of insects, reptiles, and amphibians. It also can reflect changes in diet, adaptations of body temperature, and immunological responses. Biologist Kay Etheridge gives visual examples of color in these roles and discusses the challenges of naturalistic representation from medieval through modern times.
Frank Sinatra’s 100 musical performances in motion pictures reveal a vocalist who almost from the start recognized how the camera could enhance his artistry as much as the microphone did. Media historian Brian Rose surveys Sinatra’s extraordinary Hollywood musical career, which began with uncredited appearances with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and continued through his celebrated days with the Rat Pack.
For more than 40 years, wearing a creation by milliner Sara Sue Sherrill Waldbauer of Miller & Rhoads department store in Richmond was a mark of status and taste. Nichol Gabor, curator of costume and textiles at Richmond’s Valentine Museum, joins curator Elizabeth Lay to offer a delightful look at why Sara Sue’s signature confections defined the fashionable hat for the city’s ladies who lunched. This program is part of a fall Lunchtime with a Curator series. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
A new century literally began as Ludwig van Beethoven completed his first symphony in the year 1800. Within the next quarter century his great cycle of nine symphonies was complete, taking its place as the measure for the entire symphonic repertoire that followed it. In a 5-part series, classical music and opera expert Saul Lilienstein uses audio and video recordings as he discusses each symphony, as well as examines Beethoven’s personal journey of creation against the backdrop of Viennese society.
Step from the bustling sidewalks of the Left Bank in Paris into a veritable treasure house: the Cluny Museum. The remains of ancient Roman baths and the Gothic Paris residence of the abbots of Cluny provide the fairy-tale backdrop for marvels of medieval art. Barbara Drake Boehm, a curator emerita of The Met Cloisters, explores the museum, renovated and reopened last year. The masterpieces inside include the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries, sculpture from the Cathedral of Notre-Dame that was buried during the French Revolution, and a Jewish wedding ring hidden by its owner during the Black Death. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Discover how visual art can inspire creative writing and how writing can offer a powerful way to experience art. Join Mary Hall Surface, the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s popular Writing Salon, for three online workshops that spotlight a diverse range of visual art chosen to inspire writers of all experience levels to deepen their process and practice. This writing session is inspired by María Berrío’s collage, A Sunburst Restrained.
For those aligning themselves with the Patriot cause, shoes became an unexpected signifier of political allegiance in the decades leading up to the American Revolution. Kimberly Alexander, director of museum studies at the University of New Hampshire, joins curator Elizabeth Lay to examine how the choice of footwear came to represent colonial economic independence and symbolized a break from the yoke of trade with Great Britain. This program is part of a fall Lunchtime with a Curator series. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Discover how visual art can inspire creative writing and how writing can offer a powerful way to experience art. Join Mary Hall Surface, the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s popular Writing Salon, for three online workshops that spotlight a diverse range of visual art chosen to inspire writers of all experience levels to deepen their process and practice. This writing session is inspired by Thomas Cole’s four-painting series, The Voyage of Life.
Constantine was the first Roman emperor to declare his support for Christianity, pouring imperial patronage and resources into the church and transforming what had been a persecuted minority into the empire’s favored religion. Some modern commentators, however, have questioned Constantine’s motives and the sincerity of his faith. Historian David Gwynn focuses on the words of Constantine himself to understand this intriguing emperor.
Explore more wonderful songs from the golden age of the Great American Songbook, and the stories behind their long and unexpected lives. This fall season, filmmaker and cultural historian Sara Lukinson takes up the work of George and Ira Gershwin, and some of their forever-familiar songs.
The story of the Medici's expansion of power in 15th and early-16th century Florence is well-known and documented. Less familiar is that of the wives, daughters, and sisters who bolstered the family's rise and furthered its interests. Art historian Elaine Ruffolo highlights the influential and fascinating Medici women and examines their contributions as patrons of the architectural, religious, and literary arts. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Manhattan is one of the most exciting art centers in the world and it’s also home to some of the greatest art museums. Art critic and adviser Judy Pomeranz looks at some of the institutions—from large and comprehensive to small, focused gems—examining their histories and exploring the objects that help define the museums’ distinctive personalities and are not to be missed when you’re visiting. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Discover how visual art can inspire creative writing and how writing can offer a powerful way to experience art. Join Mary Hall Surface, the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s popular Writing Salon, for three online workshops that spotlight a diverse range of visual art chosen to inspire writers of all experience levels to deepen their process and practice. This writing session is inspired by Lois Mailou Jones’ The Green Door.
Anatolia’s colorful history has left a windfall of riches—ancient ruins, ornate Byzantine churches, supremely elegant mosques, and splendid Ottoman palaces. In an illustrated series, Serif Yenen, a Turkish-born tour guide and author, highlights the heritage and splendor of ancient Turkey through an examination of some of its cultural gems.
Experience the power of reflective writing guided by the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s popular Writing Salon, Mary Hall Surface. Inspired by works of art by Hudson River landscape painter Jasper Francis Cropsey and poetry by Mary Oliver, explore the lessons that the season of autumn offers us when we slow down, look closely, and reflect. Designed for writers of all levels, the workshop invites you to look outwardly at paintings and poetry and to look inwardly through writing.
In 1482, Leonardo da Vinci left his native Florence to seek his fortune at the ducal court of Milan. It was a bold move that profoundly transformed Leonardo’s career and personal life. Art historian Laura Morelli explores Milan through the eyes of Leonardo, offering a unique perspective on the enduring legacy of a Renaissance giant. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Explore more wonderful songs from the golden age of the Great American Songbook, and the stories behind their long and unexpected lives. This fall season, filmmaker and cultural historian Sara Lukinson takes up the work of Rodgers and Hart, and some of their forever-familiar songs, where daydreams and romance, razzle-dazzle, and all our “where or whens” still live.
Media historian Brian Rose examines the ups and downs of Elvis Presley’s Hollywood career, which started off with such promise in films such as King Creole and Jailhouse Rock but concluded with dozens of cheap, mediocre movies like Harum Scarum and Paradise, Hawaiian Style that dimmed his creativity and his reputation.
Explore more wonderful songs from the golden age of the Great American Songbook, and the stories behind their long and unexpected lives. This fall season, filmmaker and cultural historian Sara Lukinson takes up the work of Kander and Ebb, and some of their forever-familiar songs, where daydreams and romance, razzle-dazzle, and all our “where or whens” still live.
Immerse yourself in the Japanese practice of forest bathing as Melanie Choukas-Bradley introduces its history and how-tos. Learn creative ways to reduce holiday stress and banish winter blues by connecting with nature close to home as Choukas-Bradley, a certified forest therapy guide, leads you through techniques to incorporate this soulful practice into your life.
The Met Cloisters, the branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted to the art of medieval Europe, presents extraordinary works of art from the 8th to the 16th centuries in a stunning setting at the tip of Manhattan. In a virtual visit, Barbara Drake Boehm, Paul and Jill Ruddock curator emerita of The Cloisters, highlights works from Paris to Prague, Canterbury to Cordoba, that attest to the skill and imagination of medieval artists and the beauty they imparted to the world. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Experience the power of reflective writing guided by the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s popular Writing Salon, Mary Hall Surface. Explore new ways to contemplate the gifts of winter inspired by the vibrant Winter Landscape by Wassily Kandinsky, an artist who embraced the transcendent power of color. Designed for writers of all levels, and for the curious, the workshop invites you to look outwardly at art and to look inwardly through writing.
At Christmastime in 1914, months after World War I began, hundreds of soldiers in Flanders spontaneously stopped fighting one another, left their trenches, and shook hands in no man’s land. For a short time, British and German soldiers barely fired a shot, helped bury one another’s dead, and even played soccer together. Historian and battlefield guide Simon Jones tells the story of what happened in Flanders during the Christmas season in 1914.
While shooting for his book Working the Water, photographer Jay Fleming traveled up and down the Chesapeake documenting all facets of the region’s commercial fisheries and the people and businesses that depend on the harvest. Join him for a vividly illustrated program that brings the bay's iconic seafood industry into focus.
From sleigh bells and sugarplums to the mystical beauties of the Nativity, every December our senses are filled with the music of Christmas. In a 2-session celebration of the festive season, popular speaker and concert pianist Rachel Franklin explores how classical Western composers created a canon of both secular and sacred experiences that are now deeply rooted in our collective seasonal expectations.
In the history of Western civilization, few peoples are as important and yet as mysterious as the Huns. They were only powerful for some 100 years, yet they played a critical role in the collapse of the western Roman empire. Historian David Gwynn covers the full breadth of the Hun world.
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)
The ability to derive meaning from what we see is an essential skill in a culture saturated with images. Once you understand this visual language, reading images, particularly art, is not only simpler but infinitely more gratifying. Using works from the history of art and from popular culture, art historian Nancy G. Heller focuses on how art communicates, how to analyze and interpret it, and how we can see it as a cultural product that reveals something about the society that produced it. (World Art History Certificate core course, 1 credit)
