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The Arts Intel Report

Ode to Antwerp: The Secret of the Dutch Masters

Anthony Van Dyck and studio, John the Baptist and John the Evangelist, c. 1618.

May 20 – Nov 26, 2023
Lange Nieuwstraat 38, 3512 PH Utrecht, Netherlands

Before 1585, the year that saw the Netherlands divided horizontally—sending its patrons, art collectors, and artists north—Antwerp was the art capital of Europe. Painters such as Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Jan van Eyck, Peter Paul Rubens, and Hans Holbein the Younger were stars supported by the city’s art guilds, which closely regulated quality and production. In this exhibition, more than 80 artworks by the founding fathers of the Dutch Renaissance constitute an ode to the city. —Elena Clavarino

Photo courtesy of Museum Catharijneconvent