All upcoming Biography & Autobiography programs

The last few decades have seen an explosion of interest in female painters, sculptors, architects, textile artists, and performance artists. Art historian Nancy G. Heller examines the progress made by women artists in Europe and the U.S. since the end of the Second World War. She discusses the relationship of art made by late 20th- and 21st-century women to the work of their male counterparts, placing it within a broader socioeconomic, political, and aesthetic context—and considers the obstacles that remain for women artists. (World Art History Certificate core course, 1 credit)

The career of 15th-century painter Giovanni Bellini extended across a period that saw the introduction of new artistic mediums and technologies, including that of oil painting, which allowed him to achieve extraordinary effects in the rendering of color and light. Art historian Sophia D’Addio charts the development of Bellini’s style through works ranging from small devotional panels to majestic multi-figure altarpieces to narrative works that showcase lush, verdant landscapes—all of which are characterized by an air of refinement and serenity. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Once lionized as our most relatable and revolutionary founding father Thomas Paine died a pariah: too radical and uncompromising for the cautious new country he had helped call into being. Historian Richard Bell examines Paine’s meteoric rise to celebrity status during the American Revolution and his equally dramatic fall from grace in the decades afterward.

Plato is a key figure from the beginnings of Western philosophy, yet the impact of his lived experience on his thought has rarely been explored. Classicist Carol Atack of Newnham College, University of Cambridge, explores how Plato’s life in Athens influenced his thought, how he developed the Socratic dialogue into a powerful philosophical tool, and how he used the institutions of Athenian society to create a compelling imaginative world.

In the decades preceding World War II, professional architecture schools enrolled increasing numbers of women, but career success did not come easily. Architectural historians Mary Anne Hunting and Kevin D. Murphy tell the stories of the resilient, resourceful women who surmounted barriers of sexism, racism, and classism to take on crucial roles in the establishment and growth of Modernism across the United States.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi is one of the most creative print designers of the Edo period in Japan. He is known for his imaginative responses—including bizarre monstrous figures—to the censorship restrictions imposed by the military government. Kit Brooks, curator of Asian art at the Princeton University Art Museum, explores Kuniyoshi’s works and why they are so striking. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

One hundred years ago, A. A. Milne published a whimsical short story that introduced the world to a “bear of very little brain” called Winnie-the-Pooh. Today young readers remain captivated by Pooh, Christopher Robin, Eeyore, Kanga, Tigger, and Piglet. Celebrate the centenary of Winnie-the-Pooh as author Daniel Stashower delves into Milne’s life and legacy and actor Scott Sedar brings some of the writer’s beloved works to life.

Samuel Johnson was a literary giant of 18th-century England who—among a lifetime of achievements—singlehandedly wrote the first modern dictionary of the English language and created the period’s equivalent of a blog. He was also a brilliant conversationalist whose witty, insightful, and often snarky pronouncements were recorded by James Boswell in one of the greatest biographies in English. Humanities scholar Clay Jenkinson discusses Johnson’s life and works; looks at the London of his era; and offers a sampling of his writings and passages from Boswell’s biography.

From her early painted works on paper to more recent, large-scale installations and wildly popular Infinity Rooms, the career of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama has been defined by bold experimentation and artistic vision. Art historian Jennie Hirsh explores the evolution of Kusama’s work, examining her signature motifs—flowers, polka dots, and mirrors—through the lenses of Pop Art, feminism, conceptualism, and personal introspection. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Born into slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland, around 1822, young Araminta Ross faced adversity from an early age. These hardships transformed “Minty” into Harriet Tubman, the most famous conductor of the Underground Railroad, and her childhood knowledge of the geography of the Eastern Shore played a key role in her success in ferrying more than 70 people to freedom by 1860. Historian Anthony Cohen reveals the saga of Tubman’s life by exploring significant sites in the region where she was raised—and that shaped her dreams of freedom and equality.