About specific courses

No prior knowledge is required for KLU’s Introduction to Architecture course. The course is designed as an introduction to the history of architecture and starts from the basics.

It’s an advantage if you’ve already Introduction to Art History has taken the course at KLU, but it is certainly not a prerequisite. The course is entirely self-contained.

KLU’s ‘Splendour and Grandeur’ courses are excellent preparation for your own visit to a city or region. In each course, a KLU lecturer will guide you through the highlights and the hidden gems. From architecture to painting, you’ll gain a better understanding of what you’re looking at and where to look. But each course can certainly also be taken purely for enjoyment, without any travel plans. By the end, you’ll see the city through a completely different lens, whether you’re there in person or reminiscing at home.

No prior knowledge is required for KLU’s course on Modern Art from the Second World War to the 1990s. However, we do recommend that you take the ’Modern Art’ course first: this follow-up course builds on that and will be more beneficial if you already have the basics. If you haven’t taken ‘Modern Art’ yet, you can view that course via klu.nl/modern.

No prior knowledge is required for KLU’s Modern Architecture course. The course can be taken independently, but we may recommend that you first take the course Introduction to Architecture To follow: Modern Architecture builds on this and is best appreciated if you already have the basics in place.

In KLU’s Modern Art course, you’ll begin with Realism and Impressionism, and the course covers almost all the movements of the early 20th century: Post-Impressionism, Cubism, Futurism, Dadaism, De Stijl, Suprematism and Abstract Expressionism, etc.

No prior knowledge is required for KLU’s Modern Art course. In fact, the course is particularly suitable for people who find modern art difficult to understand; that feeling will soon disappear.

Have you already taken the Introduction to Art History course? If so, the Modern Art course builds on that nicely. However, the course also stands entirely on its own.

In KLU’s Modern Art course, you’ll be introduced to the groundbreaking art movements of the early twentieth century. Do you find modern art inaccessible, or do you ever think, “My little sister could do that too”? After this course, you’ll probably think very differently about it.

You will follow the rapid succession of artistic movements from Realism and Impressionism, through Cubism, Futurism, Dadaism, De Stijl and Suprematism, to abstract art around the time of the Second World War. We will also focus specifically on Dutch modern art.

Following the KLU’s ‘Introduction to Architecture’ course, the Course in Modern Architecture a logical next step. This course builds directly on the knowledge covered in ‘Introduction to Architecture’ and is best understood if you have completed this foundation course first.

For an overview of all the options for further study, please scroll down to the ‘Further Courses’ section at the bottom of this page, or click on ‘Further Courses’ in the menu at the top.

KLU’s ‘Introduction to Architecture’ course covers twenty centuries of Western architectural history, spread across several lessons. Each lesson focuses on a particular period or style.

Topics covered include classical antiquity, Romanesque churches, Gothic cathedrals, Baroque, Art Nouveau and Art Deco, as well as modern and contemporary architecture.

In KLU’s ‘Introduction to Art History’ course, you will learn to recognise the key styles, periods and works of art from Western art history in painting, sculpture and architecture. By the end of the course, you will view art in museums, churches and whilst on holiday with a fresh perspective.

In KLU’s ‘Introduction to Architecture’ course, you will learn to recognise the main architectural styles and movements in Western art and place them in their historical context.

You’ll take a journey through twenty centuries of architectural history: from Greek temples and Gothic cathedrals to Art Nouveau, Art Deco and the great names of modern architecture such as Le Corbusier, Rem Koolhaas and Zaha Hadid. By the end, you’ll see buildings in a whole new light – whether on the street, whilst travelling or in a museum.

No prior knowledge is required for KLU’s Introduction to Art History course. The course is specifically designed as a first step into art history and starts right from the beginning. If you already have some knowledge of art history, the course is still well worth taking as a refresher and to gain a comprehensive overview.

In KLU’s ‘Symbolism in Art A’ course, each lesson covers a specific theme. The six lessons cover: the symbolism of the Annunciation, recognising personifications and allegories, the symbolism of secular art (with an in-depth look at Jan van Eyck’s portrait of Arnolfini), the symbolism of Nativity and Crucifixion scenes, the symbolism of love in the Golden Age, and finally Romanticism and Symbolism.

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.

No prior knowledge is required for KLU’s ‘Symbolism in Art A’ course. The course is suitable for anyone with an interest in art and culture. Have you previously Introduction to Art History Have you taken a course at KLU? If so, Symboliek A builds on that nicely. If you’re not sure which course to start with, please contact with us!

In KLU’s ‘Symbolism in Art A’ course, you will learn to recognise and understand the meaning behind symbols, personifications and allegories in Western art.

You’ll delve into Christian, mythological and secular art. By the end of the course, you’ll look at paintings differently; you’ll not only see what’s depicted, but also understand what it means. Who is that woman with the jar of ointment? What do the oranges in the Arnolfini portrait signify? What does Vermeer’s ‘The Milkmaid’ convey?

The KLU course ‘Introduction to Art History’ covers eight periods: Classical Antiquity, the Romanesque period, the Gothic period, the Renaissance, the Baroque and the Golden Age, Neoclassicism and Romanticism, Impressionism and Expressionism, and modern art.

The exhibition covers painting, sculpture and architecture.

KLU’s ‘Introduction to Art History’ course is aimed at anyone with an interest in art and culture who wishes to explore art history in greater depth. No prior knowledge is required. The course is popular with people who have little prior knowledge but want to understand more about and learn what they see in museums, churches or whilst travelling. The explanations are accessible and clear.