Modern Art historical work on Pieter Claesz and his rivals has been centered around questions of innovation and influence, categorizing different painters as leaders or followers. In this thesis I...Show moreModern Art historical work on Pieter Claesz and his rivals has been centered around questions of innovation and influence, categorizing different painters as leaders or followers. In this thesis I review primary sources to identify measures of reputation used during the artists’ lives, demonstrating how they differ from modern models of assessment. Using these findings, I propose new explanations for the relative contemporary success and distinctive oeuvres of Pieter Claesz, Willem Claesz Heda and Floris van Schooten. These explanations avoid reliance on anachronistic privileging of innovation, centering instead around questions of quality related to the contemporary understanding of the specialization and the differing social and economic position of each artist.Show less
Research master thesis | Literary Studies (research) (MA)
open access
2017-06-01T00:00:00Z
Between 1617-1672, the Spanish comedia nueva was immensely popular in Amsterdam. While the comedia nueva was originally devised by playwright Lope de Vega (1562-1635) in Spain where he also had his...Show moreBetween 1617-1672, the Spanish comedia nueva was immensely popular in Amsterdam. While the comedia nueva was originally devised by playwright Lope de Vega (1562-1635) in Spain where he also had his first successes, his comedias were transferred to other European countries, such as the Dutch Republic. This Master Thesis reflects on the seemingly contradictional popularity of the comedia nueva in Amsterdam, while the Dutch Republic was revolting against its Spanish overlord. As such, the comedia nueva is being compared to the native Dutch Senecan-Scaligerian tradition, which promoted patriotism. This thesis aims to understand how the comedia nueva and Senecan-Scaligerian plays functioned alongside each other, while it is hypothesized that the emotional response of an audience provided for the popularity of a play. Through an analysis of both the dramatic macrostructure and microstructure, this is made clear, showing that both dramatic traditions were able to successfully instil emotions in the auditor ignoring political hostilities between the Spanish Empire and the Dutch Republic.Show less
This thesis explores the role that museums in the provinces of North and South Holland play in the formation of Dutch national and local identity. The Dutch Revolt and Dutch Golden Age were crucial...Show moreThis thesis explores the role that museums in the provinces of North and South Holland play in the formation of Dutch national and local identity. The Dutch Revolt and Dutch Golden Age were crucial times for the formation of Dutch national identity. Museums play an important role in negotiating historical fact and myth. The first chapter of the thesis explores the themes of "Geography", or how museums define "The Netherlands", "Location and Experience", or how museums create a sense of place, "Chronology" or how museums present the passage of time and "Interactivity" or how museums involve visitor interaction with the exhibits. The second chapter explores the subject of William of Orange as a national hero in the Rijksmusem and compares this with how the Princenhof museum in Delft uses biographical information to humanize William. The third chapter compares how two museums, the Lakenhal in Leiden and Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar, present the subject of the Dutch Revolt. In Alkmaar the museum explores sites of cultural memory of the revolt in several places in the city. In the Lakenhal, memories of the revolt and local hero Pieter Adriansz. van der Werf are renegotiated in light of historical fact. In all these examples, the role that national and local myths play is explored.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Nederlandse taal en cultuur (BA)
closed access
In the thesis it is argued that the tableaux vivants had a great impact on the additional meaning a play could have. By interpreting Rodenburgh's "Vrou Iacoba" it becomes clear that meaning...Show moreIn the thesis it is argued that the tableaux vivants had a great impact on the additional meaning a play could have. By interpreting Rodenburgh's "Vrou Iacoba" it becomes clear that meaning originates both in text and the tableau vivant.Show less
