1. About KLU

KLU stands for KLU Art History Courses; we are a Dutch provider of online art history courses for adults.
The name KLU dates back to the organisation’s early years, when its full name was Kunsthistorische Leergangen Utrecht. That name no longer did justice to what we do, and since then we have simply referred to ourselves as KLU. Our mission remains unchanged: to make art history accessible to anyone with an interest in art and culture, with no prior knowledge required.

No, most of KLU’s online art history courses do not require any prior knowledge. The courses are aimed at adults with an interest in art and culture, even if they have not previously studied art history.

Are you completely new to art history? Then this course is Introduction to Art History a good place to start. You can also filter our course listings to show introductory courses.

If you are new to art history, KLU recommends that you start with the ‘Introduction to Art History’ course. This course lays the foundations for many other courses in our programme.

Logical next steps could include, for example: Symbolism in Art A, Introduction to Architecture, Modern Art or Art Nouveau & Art Deco. The full, up-to-date range of courses, including start dates and filters, can be found at klu.nl/courses-on-offer.

An online lesson at KLU is a webinar lasting an average of 2 hours, including a short break. The tutor delivers the lesson using visual aids, directly in your browser. You do not need to install any app or software. During the lesson, you can ask questions via the chat function. The tutor will answer these afterwards by email or via KLU’s online community.

Almost all of KLU’s courses are taught in Dutch. There is one course in English: Dutch Masters of Art History.

Are you unsure about the language of a particular course? This is always stated on the relevant course page. You can find the full range of courses at klu.nl/cursusaanbod.

KLU’s lecturers are academically trained art historians with extensive experience in teaching adults. They combine in-depth subject knowledge with an accessible style of explanation, tailored specifically to people with an interest in art and culture.

You can find the tutor for a course on the course page. If you’d like to know which courses a tutor teaches, please visit klu.nl/teachers

Absolutely. You can give an art history course as a gift. You can order a gift voucher via klu.nl/gift-voucher or have the recipient register straight away using their details and complete the payment process themselves. If you’d like to discuss this first, please get in touch via klu.nl/contact and please specify which course you are referring to.

With every KLU course, you’ll receive lessons lasting an average of two hours, which you can also watch again within fourteen days of the course ending.

In addition, after each lesson you will receive a handout containing a summary and the images covered. You can ask the tutor questions via the private online community or by email, and the tutor will answer them after the lesson.

If you’re completely new to art history, it’s best to start with Introduction to Art History or one of the introductory courses. You will then find a section on each course page listing recommended follow-up courses. You can scroll straight down to it, or click on ‘Follow-up courses’ in the menu at the top of the page.

See also the full Course catalogue, where you can filter by tutor, start date and price.

What students particularly appreciate about KLU is the combination of academic rigour and accessibility. Complex subject matter is made easy to understand whilst maintaining a high standard – that is what sets KLU apart.

The tutors are consistently praised: they are knowledgeable, enthusiastic and have an engaging teaching style. Course participants say that after every lesson they look forward to the next one and that the knowledge really sticks.

KLU also scores highly in practical terms: the ease of catching up on sessions, the handouts and the good value for money are frequently mentioned. And perhaps the best side effect of all: after the course, participants pack their bags, visit museums with a fresh perspective or discover a new hobby.

You can read all the reviews at klu.nl/reviews.