All upcoming Seminars

One of the greatest battles of the late 16th century was the clash of two women who were cousins and rivals in power: Elizabeth I, Queen of England, and Mary, Queen of Scots. In a world ruled by men, they took center stage in a battle to the death over a prize only one could claim—the throne of England. Tudor and Renaissance scholar Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger explores how their epic political and personal battles finally led to a unified rule in England.

The architecture and interiors of Scotland’s finest historic houses uniquely reflect the country’s heritage and culture. In a richly illustrated day-long journey into history, cultural historian Lorella Brocklesby explores more than 400 years of splendor from fortified 16th-century tower houses and palaces of Baroque extravagance to elegant 18th-century residences and exuberant revival styles of the Victorian period. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)

Geoffrey Chaucer is often called the father of English literature because of his groundbreaking work, The Canterbury Tales. Joseph Luzzi, professor of literature at Bard College, explores what makes this masterpiece tick. He explores how Chaucer created such compelling characters as the Wife of Bath, a pioneering figure in the construction of modern female identity, and how his work influenced a range of later authors.

The period of post-biblical Judaism is exceedingly rich in archaeological evidence, found both in Israel and in the lands of an ever-widening Diaspora. In an illustrated full-day program, biblical scholar Gary Rendsburg of Rutgers University synthesizes archaeological findings and literary evidence to reveal a multifaceted portrait of Jewish life in late antiquity.

John Milton’s Paradise Lost from 1667 is generally considered to be the greatest epic poem in the English language. Literature professor Joseph Luzzi explores Milton’s relation to ancient literature, rewriting of religious doctrine, and place in the political and social upheavals of his era. He also discusses Milton’s blindness and his role as a pamphleteer.

Though best known for his psychologically revealing self-portraits, Rembrandt was also an unrivaled master of light and shadow and expressive, luxuriant brushwork, qualities that would be emulated by generations of later artists. Art historian Aneta Georgievska-Shine explores the most distinctive aspects of Rembrandt’s artistic language through an analysis of some of his greatest masterpieces—from public commissions to his representations of stories from classical and biblical history to his most private of works. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)

Vincent van Gogh spent 1886 to 1888 living in Paris with his brother Theo. Drawn into a social and artistic circle of like-minded rising painters that he called the Painters of the Petit Boulevard, van Gogh’s immersion in the world of the avant-garde helped him define his own style and technique. Art historian Bonita Billman explores why these years in Paris were among the most influential in van Gogh’s brief life. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)