From 4 to 14 August 2019 the Rijksmuseum and the RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History will organize a ten-day, intensive Summer School offering a unique, in-depth immersion into 15th- and 16th-century Netherlandish art and history. Experts in the field will provide students with an exclusive look behind the scenes in the museum departments and conservation studios where they operate. Participants will gain knowledge on how to use the research facilities available in The Netherlands and will visit the most important collections and monuments of the Northern Renaissance under the expert guidance of museum curators and other specialists.

Northern Renaissance Art: Collections, Research and Recent Developments

In this summer program participants will study paintings, drawings, prints, stained-glass windows, manuscripts and sculptures up close from a range of interdisciplinary perspectives. Field trips will be organized to the principal collections of 15th- and 16th-century Netherlandish art as well as smaller but equally spectacular gems not usually on the researcher’s itinerary. A close look at cities such as Haarlem, Gouda and Leiden will offer a rare insight into the development of the Renaissance in the Northern Netherlands specifically, while visits to Kalkar, Xanten and Antwerp will bring a broader perspective of this period in the Low Countries.

A series of lectures, presentations and excursions with prominent scholars and museum professionals will provide a comprehensive overview of current Northern Renaissance research projects and methodologies. Special attention will be given to combining art-historical research and the technical examination of works of art. A number of the sessions have been designed to encourage discussion between the speakers and the course participants. There will be ample opportunity for discussion in front of the original works of art. Moreover, the participants are offered the possibility to build up a network of contacts with scholars and curators in The Netherlands.

Requirements

The Summer School is primarily intended for young museum curators, recent MA graduates, PhD candidates and professional art historians specializing in Northern Renaissance art. A total of 15 candidates will be selected based on CV and motivation. The ability to communicate in English is required.

The closing date for all applications is 17 February 2019, at 6:00 p.m. (Amsterdam time/CET). See the Rijksmuseum website for more information and a provisional program.