History of Art: Relations between Italy and the Netherlands – Track

The Utrecht Summer School offers an opportunity to travel back in time and experience the art from both traditions first hand, staying in two cities that played a pivotal part in their country’s art: Florence and Utrecht. This highly interactive course for the most part takes place in front of the original artworks, enabling you to experience, discuss and learn about the artwork first-hand.

Our partner institute in Florence will tell you all about the works of the great Italian Masters of the Renaissance. The names of Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Caravaggio are associated with some of the most original, appealing and amazing achievements in the visual arts. What drove these versatile artists to reach the pinnacle of perfection and what is it that makes their works so special and appealing even to a modern audience? To answer these questions this course will take the student back to the period of the Italian Renaissance focusing attention not only on the original context for which the works of art by these masters were made but also on the works of art by their peers with whom they often competed.

The journey then continues up north, to Utrecht where you will discover Dutch art of the Golden Age. This part of the course takes you back in time to the Dutch seventeenth century: the early modern period, when Dutch ships sailed the oceans from the Americas to the Indies, and the tiny Dutch Republic dominated the world's stage. All the landscapes, seascapes, portraits and still lifes may look so realistic that one can feel the sea-breeze and smell the grapes, but in fact, nothing in these artistic works really is what it seems.

Course leader

Prof. dr. Michael Kwakkelstein & Anna Koldeweij, MA

Target group

The course is open to participants (graduates and non-graduates) from all disciplines with a keen interest in Art History. No experience required.