Art historian Hanneke Lenders is one of KLU's lecturers as well as its manager. Her specialism is originally in early Christian art and late medieval prayer books, but over the years she has added other loves such as Mondriaan and modernist architecture. Hanneke teaches several courses for beginners such as the course Introduction to Art History. So she is the one who will guide you through the whole history of art.
Symbolism in art C
Online course
6 lessons
NL
Before attending this course, it is recommended to at least first Symbolism in art A to have followed.
N.B. This course is taught in Dutch.
In this course, we dive back into the world of symbols, personifications and allegories. There is a focus on Christian, secular as well as mythological symbolism. We look at the attributes by which you can recognise various saints; we wander through Biblical and apocryphal stories; we get to know the main mythological figures and delve into the seemingly superficial representations of 'everyday life' that are secretly packed with messages. This course thus covers all of art history. You will get answers to questions such as What appearances does Mary Magdalene know? By what do you recognise Hercules? What is the symbolic meaning of different flowers and plants and how do you recognise which angel?
In this Symbolism in Art C course, each lesson we will cover the symbolism of a specific subject or theme. Among other things, we will discuss in detail the very versatile appearance of Mary Magdalene in art; important mythological figures such as Hercules and Apollo; the symbolism of various animals, flowers and plants; the various appearances of angels and great painting programmes brimming with symbolism.
How does that work online?
You follow this lecture online from your own computer or tablet. All you need is a good internet connection and sound. Lecturer and images will automatically appear on your screen. If you cannot attend 'live', you can watch the replay of the lesson another time.
Free trial lesson
Want to know if this course and taking it online is for you? You can take lesson 1 of this course as a free trial lesson without any obligations. You can register for this free trial lesson directly via the button below.
Course details
6x Wednesday evenings, start 11 November 2026
Registration closes 29 November
New start dates?
Keep me abreast Of new start dates.
Recommended literature
Should you wish to delve further into the subject of this course, we recommend the following books. This is not compulsory literature for the course.
Frequently asked questions
Does it matter in which order I take the Symbolism A, B and C courses?
The courses ‘Symbolism in Art A’ and Symbolism in art B They can be taken completely independently of one another, in any order. So you can start with the course that appeals to you most or fits in best with your schedule.
However, we do recommend taking Symbolism A before Symbolism C, because A lays the best foundation for the more in-depth themes covered in C.
What exactly does the taster lesson involve?
The taster lesson is the first lesson of a course, which you can attend free of charge and with no obligation. There’s no commitment: afterwards, you decide for yourself whether you want to take the full course. You can sign up for a taster lesson via the course page. An overview of all current taster lessons can be found at klu.nl/free-trial-lesson.
Please feel free to sign up for a free taster lesson, so you can see for yourself whether the course is right for you.
If I’m unable to attend one or more of the class dates, can I still take the course?
Yes, even if you miss a live class, you can watch it later on KLU. After each class, you’ll automatically receive a link to the recording by email. It’s valid for 14 days, and you can watch the recording as often as you like.
Many students even complete the entire course via the recording. This means you don’t need to be present on the scheduled date to complete the full course.
Will a course be offered again?
Most of our courses run on a regular basis. The course page for each course lists all the scheduled start dates. If there are no more start dates available, you can click on the ‘Keep me informed’ button. You will then automatically receive a notification as soon as a new start date becomes available.
You can always find the current range of courses, including all start dates, at klu.nl/courses-on-offer. If you’d like to stay up to date with our latest offers, please sign up for our newsletter via klu.nl/newsletter.
The course has already started – can I still enrol?
Yes, at KLU you can still enrol well after a course has started. If you enrol after the course has started, you will automatically receive links to watch the recordings of the lessons that have already taken place. That way, you won’t miss a single lesson. The course page states the deadline for enrolment.
Dutch 
English