All upcoming World Art History Certificate: Electives programs

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 this class, learn the strategies artists such as Rembrandt, Daumier, Cézanne, and Vermeer used to harness light and unify, intensify, and give dimension to their images. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

The history of art forgery is packed with stories of tricksters who, while more pranksters than gangsters, succeeded in fooling the art world and profiting while doing so. Art historian Noah Charney uncovers the "provenance trap," a methodology that has most often and most successfully led to forgers fooling experts. He illustrates with intriguing, quirky, and enlightening case studies involving five famous forgers. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Using watercolor, learn the strategies Morisot, Constable, Monet, and Cézanne employed to harness light in their images. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

This introduction to Vincent van Gogh's accomplishments in drawing pays particular attention to his unique and instantly recognizable touch. Participants investigate how his imaginative mark making forms his images. In-class exercises revolve around drawing studies of his masterworks. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

The art of Impressionist-era creators is in the spotlight during a 2-day visit to three of Philadelphia’s outstanding collections led by art historian Ursula Rehn Wolfman. The Philadelphia Museum of Art exhibition “Mary Cassatt at Work” is devoted to the works of the Pennsylvania-born Impressionist, who challenged the conventional expectations of Philadelphia’s elite. “Matisse & Renoir: New Encounters at the Barnes” places masterpieces from the same period near each other and traces the development of these two artists. Showcased in an elegant Beaux-Arts–style building, the Rodin Museum’s collection of nearly 150 bronze, marble, and plaster sculptures represents every phase of Auguste Rodin’s career. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)

Auguste Rodin is considered the father of modern sculpture. Yet his works were deeply inspired by ancient classical and Renaissance art. Art historian Judy Scott Feldman explores how Rodin’s fascination, even obsession, with earlier figural traditions inspired his fusion of tradition and innovation in “The Kiss,” “The Gates of Hell,” and his powerful “Monument to Balzac.” (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Using watercolors, capture the nuances of the natural light in the beautiful Enid A. Haupt Garden next to the Smithsonian Castle. Study the delicate subtleties of the plants and learn to translate your observations into stunning Post-Impressionistic studies and paintings. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Beginning in the early 20th century, French artist Marie Laurencin created a unique pictorial world that placed women at the center of modern art. With a painting style that defied categorization, Laurencin moved seamlessly between the male-dominated Cubist avant-garde, lesbian literary and artistic circles, and the realms of fashion, ballet, and decorative arts. Barnes Foundation docent Joe Caliva explores Laurencin’s career as he discusses “Marie Laurencin: Sapphic Paris,” an exhibition recently on view at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Jacob Lawrence, one of America’s greatest painters of Black life, was known for his series paintings that documented important moments in global Black history. Art historian LaNitra M. Berger examines one of Lawrence’s best-known works, The Migration Series—which illustrates African Americans’ historic migration from the deep South to the North in the early 20th century—and discusses how it contributes to our knowledge of African American history and culture. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)