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Modern Art in Europe and North America
Who was Andy Warhol? What is Romanticism? Can abstract art mean something?This course will survey the art and architecture of the Modern era. We will focus on turning points in the historical narrative including the political and industrial revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries, the rise of cities and of a middle class. In […]
History of Western Art: Renaissance to Revolution, 1300 – 1800
Who was Leonardo da Vinci? Who were the great female artists of the Baroque? What role did art play in the French Revolution? This course will survey art and architecture made from the Late Gothic in Italy through the Enlightenment. We will focus on turning points in the historical narrative including the rise of Florence […]
Decoding art: Dürer’s Melencolia I
Explore Dürer's masterful "psychological self-portrait" and the hidden meanings of the various objects in it.
Thought the Puritans were dour? Think again!
We think of Puritans aesthetics as restrained and humble, but this elaborate cupboard proves otherwise.
A Bar at the Folies-Bergère with Griselda Pollock
Griselda Pollock unpacks some of the questions raised by Manet’s last masterpiece.
The Berlin Wall as a political symbol
This Cold War icon was much more than just a barrier between East and West.
Negotiating the past in Berlin: the Palast der Republik
This building was a symbol of a repressive regime, but the German government's vote to tear it down sparked years of protests.
A Harlem street scene by Jacob Lawrence, Ambulance Call
Lawrence captures the vitality of Harlem and highlights the advancements in medical care for and by people of color.
Complexity and vision: the Staff God at Chavín de Huántar and beyond
This image is so complex that its features could only be perceived, let alone understood, by the initiated.
A Still Life of Global Dimensions: Antonio de Pereda’s Still Life with Ebony Chest
In this still life, objects and customs from around the world converge around one delicious food: chocolate.
Marie-Guillemine Benoist, Portrait of a Black Woman
This portrait of an unnamed woman speaks volumes about slavery, politics, and gender in revolutionary France.
Damnatio memoriae—Roman sanctions against memory
If the Roman government condemned a ruler, his portraits often died with him.