The artist Raphael arrived in Rome in 1508 and brought a subtle revolution in art and architecture to the Eternal City. Join art historian Elaine Ruffolo for a virtual visit to the papal apartments—Stanze—Raphael painted, and revel in his virtuosity. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Historian and scholar Michele L. Simms-Burton, a former professor of African-American studies at Howard University examines the creators and the works that came alive during one of the most creative and intellectually productive eras in African American history, the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s.
Art historian Aneta Georgevskia-Shine discusses ways of approaching Hieronymus Bosch (1450–1516), a unique artist who continues to fascinate us with the fantastic imagery and densely symbolic messages of his compositions. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
The Borgias’ name has become synonymous with blind ambition, murder, rape, incest, and torture in Renaissance Italy. But there was something more to know about them, and art historian Elizabeth Lev provides a broader context to the powerful family’s story.
In this class open to all levels, students discover the versatility and fluidity of working in watercolors while exploring the functional and aesthetic elements of color and design found in plants.
Impressionism is one of the most popular styles in the history of art. Art historian Janetta Rebold Benton presents intimate looks at four luminaries of the impressionist school. (World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1 credit)
Join Barnes Foundation educator Tom Lo for a lively virtual presentation that explores the current exhibition Soutine and de Kooning: Conversations in Art. Organized by the Barnes and the Musées d’Orsay et de l’Orangerie, it explores the affinities between the work of Chaïm Soutine (1893–1943) and Willem de Kooning (1904–1997).
As the capital of the western outpost of the Roman Empire in its last days, then of the occidental provinces of the Byzantine Empire, Ravenna offered a refuge of luxury and splendor rising above relentless seas of barbarism. Art historian Elaine Ruffolo explores the city’s extraordinary early Christian-era structures and what they reveal about an important period of European cultural history. (World Art History Certificate elective: ½ credit)
Spend a summer morning discovering the joy and power of reflective writing inspired by visual art, guided by the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s Writing Salon, Mary Hall Surface.
In The 3rd of May by Francisco Goya, the brutal scene of a mass execution still manages to shock, even more than 200 years after its creation. But what does it actually depict? What were the events that so outraged Goya to create this iconic work?
Curator Elizabeth Lay is joined by Maryhill Museum of Art’s Curator, Steven Grafe to share the story, the designs, and the backdrops that represent a collection of 172 outfits by 52 Parisian couturiers, a reminder to the world that Paris still ruled fashion in 1945 after the war. Part of a 3-session Decorative Arts summer series.
Early in the 20th century, Wright undertook a quest to design housing more accessible for the typical middle-class family. Historian Bill Keene examines this lesser-known aspect of the architect’s career in a program extensively illustrated with images of Wright’s houses and their plans.
At its height, Renaissance Florence was a center of enormous wealth, power, and influence. Its often-violent political scene was dominated by rich mercantile families, the most famous being the Medici. Renaissance art historian Elaine Ruffolo traces the family’s influence on the city’s political, economic, and cultural history. (World Art History Certificate elective, ½ credit)
On February 23, 1961, Jacqueline Kennedy launched the most historic and celebrated redecoration of the White House in its history. James Archer Abbott and Elaine Rice Bachmann—co-authors of a new book that chronicles the undertaking—discuss the 60-year legacy of one of the most influential interior design projects in American history.
Curator Elizabeth Lay is joined by art historian and collector Samantha Viksnins, who delves deeper into the history of the Hermès Carré, the production process of the limited-edition scarves, and illustrates what sets the Hermès designs apart from those of other luxury scarves. Part of a 3-session Decorative Arts summer series.
Media and communications expert Brian Rose surveys the extraordinary landscape of American TV comedy, examining how it has evolved since the 1950s.
Artists, activists, and radio DJs transformed music into a political weapon and unifying force in the Civil Rights Movement, delivering powerful messages of hope to the Black community and beyond. Historian Leon Burnette explores how the music that grew out of a seminal era became an indelible part of America’s social and cultural heritage.
The golden period of the Serenissima Republic is reflected in the glorious art generated for its churches, confraternities, and palaces, including works by Bellini, Tintoretto, Tiepolo, and other masters. Art historian Elaine Ruffolo traces the history of this fabled city and the art and architecture created there. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
From colossal Olmec heads to the paintings of Frida Kahlo, Aztec temples to Mexican murals, this survey of Latin American art sweeps through the centuries. Join art historian Michele Greet, who traces the significant creators and trends that defined and shaped the arts of Latin America from their earliest expressions through the 19th and 20th centuries. (World Art History Certificate core course, 1 credit)
Curator Elizabeth Lay is joined by the daughter of the owner of Mae's Millinary shop known for its stunning "showstopper" hats, Donna Limerick, who discusses her mother’s entrepreneurial spirit, her memories of working in the shop, and shares cherished family photographs of “showstopper” hat images to view and enjoy. She also talks about her experience working with the curators at NMAAHC to create the exhibition dedicated to her mother and her shop. Part of a 3-session Decorative Arts summer series.
For more than seven decades, Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks made America laugh—either through their remarkable solo careers or their legendary partnership. Discover the extraordinary comic talents of these giants of American comedy who conquered every medium they took on: television, films, Broadway, recordings.
