Exhibitions | The Business of Art
15 January – 11 April 2010
Education Gallery
The Business of Art:
Artists and Guilds in 17th-century Holland
The artists’ guild system was flourishing in the Dutch Republic in the 17th century, and in cities such as such as Leiden and Utrecht new confraternities were even being formed. This exhibition of prints examines a number of the more prestigious guilds operating across Holland at this time, with works on paper by masters such as Jacob Ruisdael from the Haarlem guild and Jan Both from the Utrecht guild. The display explores the question of a national ‘Dutch school’ and paints a picture of a divided art-world, with regional schools formed through fierce competition between independent artists’ guilds.
Curated by Holly Grange, NADFAS Curatorial and Education Intern.