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Van Gogh: His Life and Work

Course at a Glance

Course: ARTH 489M (3 Credits)

Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

When: To be announced

Register By: To be announced

Highlights:

  • Rijksmuseum

  • Van Gogh Museum

  • Stedelijk Museum

  • Works by Seurat, Gauguin, and Cezanne

Tuition and Fees:

  • $744.00 Undergraduate 3-credit hour tuition cost

  • $650.00 Field Study Fee includes: Lodging, (7 nights, double occupancy), museum/ticket fees, excursions

  • Not included: Meals, transportation to and from the location, voluntary excursions


Explore one of the most influential figures in the history of Western art during this field study program at UMGC Europe.

Rich resources in Amsterdam allow students to follow Van Gogh's development through a study of his paintings. At the Rijksmuseum, masterpieces of the Dutch Golden Age highlight influences in his early years. A visit to the Rembrandt House Museum underscores the spiritual and artistic impact of Rembrandt throughout Van Gogh’s life.  In the Van Gogh Museum, students can observe the changes produced by the artist’s contact with Seurat, Gauguin, and Cezanne. The Stedelijk Museum provides the class with an opportunity to see how Van Gogh has influenced painting in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Topics include:

  • Background and early years
  • Rembrandt’s importance
  • Theo Van Gogh: Brother, advisor, confidant 
  • Impressionism: A new way of seeing
  • Post-Impressionism: Color and feeling
  • Descriptive vs. expressive color
  • Descriptive vs. subjective content
  • Van Gogh’s radical spirituality
  • Van Gogh’s writing: A life in letters
  • Summary: Changing the direction of art

May apply toward upper- or lower-level credit for art history, humanities, or electives.

Faculty member: Angela Maria LaDelfa, e-mail angela.m.ladelfa@faculty.umgc.edu

Course Details