Originally part of the residence of the Medici dynasty, the Palatine Gallery encompasses the entire second floor of the Pitti Palace in Florence, Italy. Its collection includes the largest concentration of paintings by Raphael in the world, as well as works by Titian, Tintoretto, Caravaggio and Rubens. Italian Renaissance art expert Rocky Ruggiero discusses some of these magnificent pieces of art. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
If you have some watercolor experience, go beyond the basics of paint application and learn how to construct strong, vibrant, personality-filled painting while still receiving guidance on foundational components.
Lift your voice in a choral program that celebrates memorable music across the United States. Conductor Melodia Mae Rinaldi leads the ensemble in arrangements of the hits you know and love. Songs may include favorites by Dolly Parton, Pete Seeger, Stevie Wonder, Irving Berlin, and others. No audition is required and rehearsals culminate in a free performance on June 15 for invited guests.
Beethoven never made it to the United States, but hundreds of important musicians and composers did. From early touring megastars like Adelina Patti and Paderewski to successful later refugee émigrés such as Rachmaninoff and Kurt Weill, America has long welcomed great artists. In a four-session series filled with musical excerpts, speaker and concert pianist Rachel Franklin explores the siren call of America to musicians.
Travel journalist Bill Clevlen draws on his book Presidential Road Trips to guide history-lovers through presidential sites across the country. Explore homes, retreats, and landmarks like Madison’s library, Eisenhower’s living room, Johnson’s desk, Kennedy’s Air Force One, Nixon’s helicopter, and Lincoln’s Springfield home. Fill the tank for the ultimate presidential road trip including mansions, museums, grave sites, memorials, historic landmarks—and plenty more.
In mid-19th-century France, artists responded to sweeping societal changes by rejecting Romanticism and embracing Realism. Led by Gustave Courbet and Honoré Daumier, the movement depicted everyday life and challenged elite Salon audiences. Art historian Nancy G. Heller explores Realism’s evolution, highlighting its impact on painting, sculpture, photography, and literature. She traces its spread beyond France to Germany, Italy, and America, where it influenced Thomas Eakins and the Ashcan School, emphasizing social truth over idealized beauty. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Discover the secrets of the Impressionists through the timeless art of still-life painting as you work from life to develop observational skills and explore the study of color.
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 diverse range of visual art chosen to inspire writers of all experience levels to deepen their process and practice. This writing session is inspired by The Green Door by Lois Mailou Jones.
