Netherlands/Belgium
Art History in Belgium and Holland
Program No. 3544RJ
Find inspiration as you celebrate the achievements of great European artists, gaining a deeper appreciation of their works through scholar-led excursions.
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14 days
13 nights
25 meals
12B 5L 8D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
3
Brussels, Magritte
Brussels
4
Antwerp, KMSKA
Ghent
6
Ghent
Ghent
7
Bruges
Ghent
11
Rijksmuseum, 18th-Century Art
Amsterdam
13
Van Gogh Museum, Free Time
Amsterdam
At a Glance
As you stroll through the museums, you realize that most of these art lovers are speaking Dutch and admiring the works of their own beloved artists. In this comprehensive exploration, learn why even local residents hold artists such as Vermeer and van Gogh so dear. Expert artists guide a study of the history, architecture, genres and artists that comprise the rich artistic traditions.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up between 3-4 miles per day; cobblestones and many unavoidable stairs; crowded areas. Public transportation and motor coaches used throughout the program.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Receive expert insight into Flemish and Dutch artists including Brueghel, Bosch, Vermeer, Van Gogh, Rubens, and more.
- Discover over five centuries of art at the KMSKA in Antwerp and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
- Witness the development of Van Gogh as we discover his works in chronological order at the Van Gogh Museum.
General Notes
Select dates are designated for small groups and are limited to 24 participants or less.
Suggested Reading List
(26 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Art History in Belgium and Holland
Program Number: 3544
Girl With a Pearl Earring
Chevalier's richly drawn novel imagines the story behind Vermeer's mysterious portrait of a turbaned girl with a pearl earring.
A Worldly Art
This appreciative analysis of Dutch art in its Golden Age (1585-1718) features 100 exemplary illustrations by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Pieter de Hooch, Frans Hals and other Old Masters.
The Embarrassment of Riches
An engaging cultural history and much more, this book is a study of the Dutch in the 17th century and their surprising challenge to Spanish rule.
The Undutchables
A laugh-out-loud, irreverent guide to Dutch character and habits, including how to drink coffee and why you shouldn't even think about haggling over prices.
Niccolo Rising
From the reigning queen of historical fiction comes this fast-paced, thoroughly-researched novel of ambition and worldly goods in 15th-century Bruges. This is the first volume in her House of Niccolo series.
Eyewitness Guide The Netherlands
Gorgeously illustrated and filled with excellent maps, this compact book covers Holland, its history, traditions, cultures and sights. With hundreds of color photographs and illustrations.
Amsterdam, A Traveler's Literary Companion
Organized by district, these 17 contemporary short stories by modern Dutch writers, including Cees Nooteboom and Geert Mak, are set amid the canals, cafes and neighborhoods of Amsterdam.
A Tall Man in a Low Land
Pearson, a British travel writer, journalist and comic, is an entertaining guide to Belgium and its traditions, culture, beer and chocolate.
Master of Shadows, The Secret Diplomatic Career of the Painter Peter Paul Rubens
Ranging from his home in Antwerp to London, Madrid, Paris and Rome, Lamster uncovers the gripping tale behind one of the world’s most famous painters and his double life as a secret agent, diplomat and political operative in 17th century Europe.
The Netherlands in a Nutshell
With information on the Dutch East India Company, Huygens, Spinoza, Van Gogh, the Great Flood, the Dutch overseas colonies and much more, Van Oostrom's popular primer covers the essential highlights of Dutch history.
Why the Dutch are Different
Mingling history with travelogue, Coates speaks to why the Netherlands is such fascinating country. He explains the significance of milk, beer and the color orange in the lives of the Dutch, their world-famous culture of tolerance and much more.
Benelux Map
Covering the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg at a scale of 1:400,000.
Eyewitness Guide Amsterdam
A wonderful guide to Amsterdam, filled with detailed drawings, photographs and thumbnail sketches.
Rubens
Belkin chronicles the 17th century artist Peter Paul Rubens from his early family life to his influential interactions with the Italian Renaissance masters and finally to Antwerp, where he rose to fame as a renowned painter and diplomat to the royal courts of Europe.
Tulipomania
The story of the world's most coveted flower and the extraordinary passion it aroused, this vivid history traces the tulip from its origins on the Turkish steppes to its status as an absurdly desired object in Europe and its key role in the financial follies of 17th-century Holland.
Girl in Hyacinth Blue
This finely-crafted novel tells the story of the girl in an imagined, undiscovered portrait by Vermeer. Created in the 17th century, the painting passes through a number of people's hands, providing a series of tales that reflect the history and character of Holland and Europe through the years.
The Professor
Bronte's first novel, published posthumously, is based on her experiences with Emily as a language student in Brussels in 1842.
Amsterdam, A History of the World's Most Liberal City
Russell Shorto opens this delightful ode to an adopted city with his daily journey, by bike of course, through his neighborhood to drop off his toddler son. He spins a tale of a diverse city wrestled from the sea, its coffee shops, canals and its personalities and politics, with panache.
The Autumn of the Middle Ages
A pioneering work of social and cultural history, this well translated classic is a richly detailed portrait of life, thought and art in 14th- and 15th-century France and the Netherlands.
Culture Smart! Belgium
A concise, well-illustrated and practical guide to local customs, etiquette and culture.
Tulip Fever
In this surprise bestseller, set in 1630s Amsterdam, a man contracts the talented painter Jan Van Loos to paint a portrait of him and his beautiful wife, Sophia. A vivid drama unfolds as a mutual attraction develops between Van Loos and Sophia.
The Diary of a Young Girl, The Definitive Edition
The classic story of an adolescent Jewish girl's life and thoughts while in hiding with her family in Nazi-occupied Holland. A new edition with added material.
Eyewitness Guide Brussels, Bruges, Ghent & Antwerp
This superbly illustrated guide features color photos and maps of city neighborhoods, with information on history, culture and sightseeing.
Travels in Vermeer, A Memoir
In the wake of a vengeful divorce, an American poet travels to Amsterdam, The Hague, Delft, London, Washington and New York to find solace and inspiration in the paintings of Johannes Vermeer.
Bruegel
A volume in the excellent "World of Art" series, Gibson's book dispels the myth of Bruegel the simpleton artist and replaces it with a portrait of a man who understood the needs of his patrons. With many black-and-white and color reproductions of the paintings.
Headlong, A Novel
A Bruegel canvas claims a central role in Frayn's hilarious tale of an art heist gone awry. Frayn weaves detailed research about the Old Master with a philosopher's foiled plot to appropriate the valuable masterpiece from a boor he feels is unworthy of it.
