**This course has two separate registration options. One for Zoom and one for in-person. Select only one.**
This three-session course will introduce you to the rich history of art in the Netherlands—a small country with a massive art presence. Beginning in the Middle Ages with their mastery of oil paints, Netherlandish artists achieved the unmatched tactile and spatial realism seen of Rembrandt, Rubens, and Vermeer; modern Dutch artists, such as Vincent van Gogh and Piet Mondrian, helped create modern art. The tradition of innovation continues with Karel Appel, Luc Tuymans, Marcel Broodthaers. You’ll also learn something about tulips, Delft porcelain, and M.C. Escher.
Week 1. The Early Years (1400-1600)
The Netherlands flourish under the Dukes of Burgundy, as cities rise and economic prosperity encourages production of illuminated manuscripts, tapestries, and stained glass. In the 15th century, a new chapter opens with the development of oil painting on panels. Jan and Hugo van Eyck create the Ghent Altarpiece. Hans Memling, Hieronymous Bosch, and the Brueghels are active.
Week 2. The Golden Age of the 17th Century
As the Netherlands extends its vast overseas trading empire, two traditions appear. In the north, which has thrown off Habsburg rule, artists in cities such as Amsterdam, Delft, Haarlem, and Utrecht produce works of art for the market—for civic bodies and wealthy merchant citizens. This is the era of Rembrandt, Vermeer, Frans Hals, Judith Leyster, Jan Steen, Jacob van Ruisdael, when, between 1605 and 1635, over 100,000 paintings were produced in Haarlem alone. Meanwhile, the Southern Netherlands remains under Catholic Habsburg rule, and church commissions dominate. Antwerp is home to the two greatest Flemish masters, Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck, who helped bring the Baroque from Italy to the North. Let’s not forget tulip mania and the development of Delft porcelain, two unique products of this golden age.
Week 3. The Modern Era (19th, 20the, 21st Centuries)
Painting continued to flourish after the 17th century, but it fell behind developments in Germany and France. In the 19th century, the Hague School produced landscapes in the style of the French Barbizon painters, and a dark and dreamy style of Dutch Impressionism arose near the end of the century. Vincent van Gogh and Piet Mondrian retained their Dutch roots as they moved art forward in Paris. Belgium separated from the Netherlands in 1830, and established its own modern direction, especially in Art Nouveau. Rene Magritte did his unique thing. Karel Appel and the CoBrA group produced post-war abstraction, and today, Dutch and Belgian artists and designers are at the forefront of international art trends.
