Study Trip: Amsterdam - from Rembrandt to Mondrian

What is the course about?

This study trip is an opportunity to look at the Dutch ‘Golden Age’ of art up to the modern day – the 17th- 20th century – through its painting, buildings and objects. We spend three days in the beautifully preserved city of Amsterdam, including a full day at the Rijksmuseum, where we will look at different genres of Dutch painting, including landscape, genre, history painting and still life as well as objects and artists who have shaped Dutch culture.

We visit Rembrandt’s House (the artist’s home and studio), the Hermitage museum, and the Van Loo canal house to get a sense of historic lives in the city. On day 3, we explore modern art Amsterdam from its Archive (the ‘most beautiful’ archive in Europe) and the Stedelijk museum. 

Please note the following disclaimers before you book:

1. The course fee covers 3 full days guiding and tuition. It does not include flights, accommodation, meals etc. which you will be required to book independently. You will need to purchase an Amsterdam City Card, which is an additional £94 (€110) as of June 2025. Because the course is confirmed, you can book the card now and activate it on the first day of our course. Please purchase the 72-hour card.

2. City Lit is not responsible for flight/travel cancellations or delays. Please ensure you have travel insurance. We recommend that you wait until the course is confirmed* before booking flight/travel accommodation.

3. This course is now confirmed. Please be aware when booking that this is exempt from our normal refunds and transfer policy. 

What will we cover?

- The socio-political context of the Dutch Golden Age
- Key Dutch masters of the 17th century to the modern
- Key works like Rembrandt’s Night Watch

- Homes and collecting in 17th and 18th century Amsterdam
- Modern and contemporary Dutch art, focussing on art deco, abstraction and public art

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

- Describe the socio-political context of the Dutch Golden Age
- Name at least three key Dutch masters from the 17th -20th century, recognise key works and participate in discussion about them
- Discuss the importance of artists in shaping the history of Amsterdam as well as Dutch cultural history

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

The course is open to all. No prior knowledge is required other than a general interest in art and architecture.

You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information, and will be invited to take part in group discussion.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

You will be taught through guided visits and discussions. There will be coffee and comfort breaks throughout the day, as well as a break for lunch. The pace will be determined by the group. There will be a fair amount of walking between and within venues, please wear comfortable walking shoes.

This course will be held in Amsterdam, Netherlands at various venues. There will be a reasonable amount of walking between venues. We cannot guarantee stools at venues. Offsite courses take place during public access hours. Tutors are not able to control sound levels or behaviours of visitors outside of the course group. Unless you are a wheelchair user, and have confirmed access details with us (as levels of access can vary between buildings), you will need to be able to walk between sites and stand for some time while looking at them (you may bring your own portable stool if you have one, but we cannot guarantee access to seating offsite.) If you feel you may be impacted by these environmental variations, please inform the department on humanities@citylit.ac.uk before the course begins, to discuss reasonable accommodations we can make to assist your learning in offsite.

You will be sent the itinerary within a week of the course start date. Please be aware that Amsterdam historic sites have different booking procedures and availability, so we are not likely able to provide the specific itinerary sooner than this.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

The course covers three full days of guided visits. It does not include flights, accommodation, meals, travel insurance, etc. which you will be required to book independently. Please ensure you have travel insurance.

You will be required to book an I Amsterdam City Card – this is an unlimited museum/culture pass that is required to get into the venues we visit. You will need to purchase this Amsterdam City Card, which is an additional £94 (€110 exchange rate at time of course listing, subject to fluctuation; this price is dated June 2025). Now the course is confirmed, you can book this card for 72 hour price. Venues will be booked by the tutor, but you will need to show your City Card to enter each venue as part of the group.

City Lit is not responsible for cancellations or fees related to bookings outside of our institution.

Please also make sure you bring comfortable shoes and something waterproof. There will be a reasonable amount of walking between venues and some looking at buildings from the outside. Please note you are responsible for getting yourself to and from meeting points so please bring a city map/app.

This course is now confirmed and exempt from our normal refunds and transfer policy.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

Art and culture in 17th century London

Art and culture in 18th century London