This course is currently fully booked. If you would still like to apply, please feel free to do so but be informed that you will be placed on a waiting list. The application will therefore be placed 'on hold'. If you wish to apply for a different track with courses abroad, please take a look at our Art and Humanities course offer.
The Utrecht Summer School offers the opportunity to travel back in time and experience the art of both traditions firsthand, staying in two cities that played a crucial role in the art of their country: Florence and Utrecht. This highly interactive course takes place largely in front of the original artworks, allowing you to experience, discuss and learn more about the artwork in its close proximity.
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.
Target audience
The course is open to participants (graduates and non-graduates) from all disciplines with a keen interest in Art History. No experience required.
Aim of the course
Johannes Vermeer? Leonardo Da Vinci? Both geniuses, most people would say today, both equally deserving to be printed on posters (and the occasional placemat) all over the world. Today, both Italian Renaissance Art and Dutch Golden Age art have conquered their prime positions in the art history books. But in the 16th and 17th centuries, the ‘Northern’ style of painting was seen as very different from the ‘Southern’ one, even though artists from both traditions influenced each other, there were ongoing disputes about which style was the best one.
Upon completion of the course, you will have seen some of the most breathtaking highlights of Italian and Dutch art in the many museums, cathedrals, cities and galleries that will be visited during this course. You will also be able to recognise the main painters and distinguish different techniques and symbols, you will have become confident in discussing and analysing artworks (including ones you have never seen before). Furthermore, you will develop an awareness of the historical context and a feel for the daily life of the period and finally, had an unforgettable summer in two of Europe’s most beautiful cities.
Course fee: €1800
Housing cost: €650
Additional information
Your accommodation is available to you from Sunday the 3th of July onward. Check in is between 12.00 noon and 20.00 PM. All course materials, excursion tickets and accommodation are included in the total fee. The transfer from Florence to Utrecht is also included. Please note your baggage must not exceed 20 kg (44 lbs). Students are responsible for their travel from their home country to Florence and from Utrecht to their home country. Because Utrecht Summer School arranges travel between the two locations, housing is mandatory.
For more information click "LINK TO ORIGINAL" below.