Art History and Architecture   

Architectural history follows a canon of both traditional and eclectic styles from ancient to contemporary times. But what happens when a mix of whimsy, eccentricity, and humor—and sometimes the creator's genius—insert themselves into the mix? Occurring throughout time and in various parts of the world, these structures exist to serve the cultures they were created for, from ancient religious sites to modern car-culture merriment. This course will explore a myriad variety of structures throughout the world, the construction methods used, the patrons for whom these structures were constructed, and the notions of the builders and architects who created them.

The Baroque art style in Italy emerges as part of the Catholic Counter-Reformation's effort to reinspire the faithful back to the Church. Understanding the power of art, the Church began to commission grand scale works of art to communicate directly with the public. Dramatic and theatrical, these works strove to entertain and inspire while also engaging the viewer. Three of the most distinct artists of this time and region are Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Michelangelo Caravaggio, and Artemisia Gentileschi. Along with some other contemporaries, this course will give an overview of the development of their distinctive style

Cuban art is the genuine expression of the condition of life for the people who live in Cuba. It is impossible to talk about Cuban art without mentioning the socio-political environment in which it was created. In this course, members will learn about Cuban visual arts in various stages of the country’s history and a range of styles. Members will explore the works of different artists, watch short interviews, read articles about Cuban art, and explore fragments of cinema, literature, and music to approach the culture in a holistic way.

This course explores the art and architecture of ancient Greece, from temples and tombs to pottery and paintings. Structured chronologically, illustrated lectures explore the visual arts of ancient Greece by period, from its beginning in the Bronze Age (ca. 3000-1200 BCE) to the end of the Hellenistic Period (ca. 323-31 BCE). The focus is key monuments and works of art and the artistic and technological developments that gave rise to them, an archaeological approach that considers the social function of Greek art in its wider Mediterranean context.

This course is an introduction to Western Modernism in the arts and its relationship to the visual culture of modernity from the mid-19th century through the 20th century. Weekly lectures and discussions will address developments in painting, sculpture, photography, and architecture from Europe, Russia, and the United States.

This course will explore a wide range of Medieval and Renaissance art in the collections of museums around the world. Members will learn about medieval manuscript illuminations and discuss Rembrandt, Caravaggio, and Vermeer. Of particular note are the paintings in the New York Metropolitan Museum's recent exhibition about the dawn of the Italian Renaissance, Siena: The Rise of Painting, (1300-1350). Understanding art in its cultural/historical context is centered in this course. Half of the course content is repeated from the prior course.

In this introductory course, members will become familiar with some of the most famous works of art from the Renaissance. This course will highlight Florence of the 14th and 15th centuries, as it was established as the intellectual and artistic center of Europe. We will overview art history and talk about the elements of style, the artistic techniques, the historical context, and the role of the artist and patron. We will cover Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Brunelleschi, Botticelli, and more.

This course will introduce members to the genre of self-taught art and the artists who create it. Formerly called "outsider art," these artists paint, sculpt, sew, and decorate spaces with minimal to no influences from outside sources. Their materials are commonly what is at hand: found objects for sculpture, cardboard for canvases, and cast-off scrap for garden churches. We will look at the lives and work of a number of artists, many of whom had little to no education and lived in economically and socially challenging environments. The artists include Bill Traylor, the Quilters of Gee's Bend, Howard Finster, Nellie Mae Brown, and Australian aboriginal and Inuit artists, among others.