What's new this month?

Complementing the exhibit "Women Artists from Antwerp to Amsterdam, 1600–1750" at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, a lecture by art historian Aneta Georgievska-Shine highlights Dutch and Flemish women’s contributions to 17th- and early 18th-century art. From renowned painters to lesser-known printmakers and sculptors, women shaped the artistic culture of the Low Countries. Despite social constraints, many built successful careers, proving their creative worth in a male-dominated world. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Poland has 23 national parks, ranging from very small to well-known throughout Europe. Tour guide Christopher Skutela leads a visual journey to several of them, including a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the site of the country’s highest mountain, and a 220-square-mile park.

The 49th season of the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society features musical masterpieces from the early 17th century to the middle of the 20th, played on some of the world’s most highly prized musical instruments in an 8-concert series. This concert features music of Dvorák with the Smithsonian Academy Orchestra.

When figures represent abstract concepts—such as justice, envy, or time—an artwork enters the world of allegory. Art historian Noah Charney breaks down how allegories were constructed by artists and contrasts Titian’s straightforward Allegory of Prudence with a brilliant and baffling painting by Bronzino, Allegory with Venus and Cupid, a multilayered complex riddle. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

When it comes to sex and love, ancient peoples tell us a lot about topics including what was forbidden; opportunities for premarital and extramarital sex; their ways of lovemaking; and how members of the same and the opposite gender expressed love for one another. Drawing from a multitude of cultures, professor emeritus of classics Robert Garland discusses what we know and don’t know about sex and love in the ancient world.

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)

Indulge in a colorful midwinter escape as horticultural expert Keith Tomlinson leads a series of virtual visits that highlight the beauty of notable botanical gardens in settings as varied as Singapore, the Arizona desert, and the American Midwest. In vibrant visuals he explores how each garden has taken a unique approach to design and interpretation as they celebrate plant collections, conservation, education, and the distinctive environments and landscapes in which they bloom. This session focuses on the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore.

Archaeologist Mike Pitts, author of Island at the Edge of the World, challenges the myth of ecological collapse on Easter Island (Rapa Nui). Drawing on early records and recent archaeology, he reveals the Islanders’ resilience and reinterprets the iconic statues, surveying a unified culture shaped by powerful beliefs, rituals, and creativity. He refutes the long-held narrative of self-destruction and offers a deeper understanding of the island’s spiritual and cultural legacy that is rooted in Polynesian mythology and Pacific traditions.

Thomas Smallwood, born into slavery in 1801 near Washington, D.C., bought his freedom, began organizing mass escapes from slavery by the wagonload, and wrote about the escapes in newspaper dispatches. Smallwood never got the credit he deserved, says journalist Scott Shane. Shane recounts the exploits of Smallwood and his white colleague, Charles Torrey, setting them against the backdrop of the slave trade in the United States.

For 600 years, the city-state of Carthage dominated the western Mediterranean, growing into the region’s largest and wealthiest empire. After Carthage ultimately fell to Rome and was destroyed in 146 B.C.E., its story was largely erased—leaving its conquerors to write the history books. Drawing on the latest archaeological discoveries and groundbreaking research, ancient historian Eve MacDonald restores Carthage’s story, revealing a cosmopolitan city of wealth and brave warriors as well as amazing beauty and technological sophistication.