Center for Netherlandish Art

The Center for Netherlandish Art (CNA) is an innovative research center for the study and appreciation of Dutch and Flemish art. Through an expansive library, a residency fellowship program, and an active slate of academic and public programs, the CNA stimulates multidisciplinary research and object-based learning; nurtures future generations of scholars and curators in the field; and expands public knowledge of and regard for Netherlandish art—especially works from the long 17th century (ca. 1560-1800). The CNA facilitates sharing the MFA’s world-renowned collections of Dutch and Flemish art in Boston and beyond through a robust program of loans and exhibitions, notably in collaborations with partner institutions that encourage the study of Netherlandish art.

The CNA seeks to enhance the field of Dutch and Flemish art history internationally through both collaboration and facilitation. Through its programs and events, the Center convenes experts, students, collectors, and art lovers, all with the aim of building meaningful connections and sharing knowledge among diverse groups of stakeholders and audiences. In addition to investigations of artistic and cultural history, the CNA also enables study, exploration, and discussion of the innumerable relationships between the Low Countries in the 17th century and our own time and place.

Graduate and Post-Graduate Fellowships

The CNA offers three residential fellowships annually for scholars at the MA, PhD, or postdoctoral level to conduct independent research for six, nine, or twelve months. To encourage creative thinking and new scholarship, the program is open to individuals in all professional and academic fields.Supporting the MFA’s 360 approach to inclusion, the CNA acknowledges the continued need to make the field of art history, and Netherlandish art history specifically, more inclusive and equitable and seeks to foster emerging professionals of all identities and nationalities representing a range of backgrounds, prior experiences, and research priorities. Interdisciplinary approaches are encouraged, but not required. Fellows are fully incorporated into the work of the MFA and may consult on projects related to their research. They also share their research through the CNA’s and MFA’s programs and online platforms to benefit a range of museum audiences.

The Hans Brenninkmeyer Visiting Senior Fellowship

The Hans Brenninkmeyer Visiting Senior Fellowship is an invitational program that brings an established authority in the field of Dutch and Flemish art to the CNA for a limited term once per year. Candidates are drawn from a highly competitive, international pool that may include curators, academics, independent scholars, and conservators from museums, universities and other cultural institutions. While in residence, Visiting Senior Fellows have the opportunity to conduct their own research in the CNA library and throughout the museum’s collections. Visiting Senior Fellows also participate in programs and activities that contribute to the vibrant intellectual life of the Center through collaboration with CNA staff and the cohort of pre- and postdoctoral fellows, as well as engagement with the larger MFA community.

The inaugural Hans Brenninkmeyer Visiting Senior Fellow will be announced later this year.

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Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until Monday, January 15, 2024

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https://www.mfa.org/collections/center-for-netherlandish-art/fellowships