History
Casanova, The Seduction of Europe: “He knew the greatest figures of the age, from monarchs like Louis XV of France and Catherine the Great of Russia, to popes, to intellectuals like Voltaire and Benjamin Franklin”
Casanova was considered by his own contemporaries to be a witty conversationalist, autobiographer, gambler, spy, and one of the greatest travelers of all time. More than 80 works of art, including paintings, sculptures, works on paper, period furnishings, delicate porcelains, and lavish period costumes, re-create this luxurious and sparkling world of masked balls, palaces, theaters, and operas. more »
The Girl in the Spotlight at the Marvelous Netherlands' Museum's Golden Room
Girl with a Pearl Earring is a seventeenth-century painting that sparks the imagination. Her enigmatic gaze, Vermeer’s use of color, and the outstanding play of light in this work captivate everyone who sees it. Researchers are also fascinated by the painting, and have a number of unanswered questions about how Vermeer painted this iconic work of art and which materials he used. The project The Girl in the Spotlight aims to come closer to resolving these issues using the latest technologies to investigate the canvas, pigments, oil and other materials that Vermeer used to create his renowned painting. more »
Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's Dreamers (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) Record-breaking Speech
House Session, Part 1 House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) gave an uninterrupted speech of over eight hours, saying she would not leave the floor until Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) agreed to allow a vote on a bill that addresses the plight of undocumented migrants who arrived in the U.S. as children, also known as “Dreamers.” The Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) executive order that permitted DREAMers to remain the U.S. was rescinded by President Trump and set to expire on March 5, 2018. Leader Pelosi throughout her monologue read testimonies written by Dreamers about their lives and sent to their members of Congress. more »
Reading Recommendations from Radcliffe’s Fellows and SeniorWomen's Editor
The 2017–2018 cohort of Radcliffe fellows include scholars, scientists, artists, and writers. Below, a selection of Radcliffe fellows share books that inspired their research, activated their imaginations, and sparked their enjoyment. My own list of books to be read includes one on American Women Code Breakers, a Robert A. Caro third volume of his Lyndon Johnson biography, The Fighting Temeraire, Joseph Conrad's The Secret Agent; Alan Riding's And the How Went On (Cultural Life in Nazi-Occupied Paris); Anthony's Powers 1st in the series A Dance to the Music of Time; but I am dedicated to Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Workout, too ... more »
