Arts and Culture: Art, Architecture and Interior before 1800

Painting, sculpture, prints and the applied arts were not isolated objects in museums, but formed an integral part of palaces, churches, and private houses, giving them meaning by enforcing the position of rulers, expressing faith, or evoking joy, fear or even abhorrence.This MA centers on the (visual and applied) arts and architecture of western Europe before 1800, but will go beyond the traditional mono-disciplinary approach. Rather than focusing on the most famous paintings, we will show how art and architecture interacted with other media, such as theatre, literature and religion. Moreover, we adopt a clear transnational approach by showing that the arts served as a ‘highway’ for intercultural exchange. European artists, architects and artisans explored all corners of the world, being influenced by and influencing the art they encountered. Examples from the Dutch Golden Age include Frans Post’s Brazilian landscapes, Classicist houses in Gdansk and the Chinese-inspired Delftware.You will be given the opportunity to combine in-depth research with internships at leading museums and institutions.