All upcoming Courses

The Mediterranean island of Malta has a rich past that reaches back some 7,000 years—a culture that thrived well before the pyramids of Egypt. Art historian Joseph Paul Cassar, who was born on Malta, surveys its geography, history, and heritage as well as its vibrant modern and contemporary art. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)

Few national cinemas offer as compelling a mirror to social transformation as Italy’s. In the decades following World War II, Italian filmmakers shaped a legacy of innovation, reflection, and artistry that still resonates on the global stage. In a four-part series, art historian Jennie Hirsh explores pivotal moments in Italian cinema­, from the birth of Neorealism to the bold experimentation of contemporary filmmakers, and how they captured—and questioned—their time. This session focuses on Italian filmmaking from the 1990s to today.

Throughout the history of Western music, men have claimed most of the spotlight and accolades as performers, composers, teachers, impresarios, patrons, and instrument makers. Less attention has been paid to the scores of brilliant creative women who played these roles—along with many others—and who were relegated to the less brightly lit corners of the musical word. In a four-session series, speaker and concert pianist Rachel Franklin brings these women and their often-untold stories to life, showcasing them with live piano performances and historical and contemporary media clips.

Drawing on one of the greatest Post-Impressionist and early modern art collections in the world, Barnes Foundation educator Penny Hansen guides a five-part series of online tours that examine the paintings of artists who helped shape a revolutionary period in the history of art. High-definition Deep Zoom technology provides close-up views of their canvases. This session highlights Paul Cézanne.

The ability to derive meaning from what is seen is an essential skill in a culture saturated with images. Once this visual language is understood, reading images, particularly art, is simpler and more gratifying. Using works from the history of art as well as images from popular culture, art historian Nancy G. Heller focuses on how art communicates, how to analyze and interpret it, and what it reveals about the society that produced it. (World Art History Certificate core course, 1 credit)

Drawing on one of the greatest Post-Impressionist and early modern art collections in the world, Barnes Foundation educator Penny Hansen guides a five-part series of online tours that examine the paintings of artists who helped shape a revolutionary period in the history of art. High-definition Deep Zoom technology provides close-up views of their canvases. This session highlights Henri Matisse.

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 a course of three online workshops that explore essential elements of writing and styles through close looking, word-sketching, and imaginative response to prompts. The sessions spotlight a wide range of visual art chosen to inspire writers of all experience levels to deepen their process and practice.

For composers like Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky, the symphony was both a personal benchmark and a lasting measure of greatness. Their mastery of the form has captivated music lovers for generations. In a 5-session series, opera and classical music expert Saul Lilienstein examines the rich tapestry of the symphonic tradition with excerpts from landmark works spanning the late 18th to the close of the 19th century.

Our modern world echoes creative vestiges of the past, so one key to understanding our surroundings is through an overview of ancient material culture. Focusing on the Mediterranean region, art historian Renee Gondek surveys art from the Greek “Dark Ages” through the early Christian period of ancient Rome. (World Art History Certificate core course, 1 credit)

Drawing on one of the greatest Post-Impressionist and early modern art collections in the world, Barnes Foundation educator Penny Hansen guides a five-part series of online tours that examine the paintings of artists who helped shape a revolutionary period in the history of art. High-definition Deep Zoom technology provides close-up views of their canvases. This session highlights Pierre-August Renoir.