Series: Jan van Eyck

arts Lieven Van Den Abeele

5 min reading time

Must-Sees in the Year of Jan Van Eyck

In 2020 Flanders is set to pay tribute to Jan Van Eyck. The most impressive tribute to this Flemish Master will be presented in Ghent, where the Museum of Fine Arts is organising its biggest ever Jan van Eyck exhibition.

language Abdelkader Benali

10 min reading time

Abdelkader Benali: 'The Bastard Language is the Language of the Future'

Abdelkader Benali has been awarded the Golden Goose Feather as an ambassador of the Dutch language who reaches young people with his enthusiasm and dedication. This is his ode to ‘bastard Dutch’.

Series: Old Works, Young Writers

arts Malika Soudani

3 min reading time

Malika Soudani: A woman

Malika Soudani gives a voice to Portrait of a woman by Frans Hals. ‘I wonder if they called it that because it’s a good title or because they’ve forgotten my name.’

First Book

literature Dirk Vandenberghe

5 min reading time

Patient or Therapist? The Boundaries Are Blurry in Siel Verhanneman's Debut Novel

Who's helping who? That is the question in Siel Verhanneman's poignant debut novel, 'Or else everyone dies'.

New at the Museum

arts CODART

3 min reading time

First Rembrandts Acquired by Museum in Northern Ireland

An overview of the new museum acquisitions of Dutch and Flemish Art.

history Tom Christiaens

3 min reading time

100 Years Ago, Tiny Country Neutral Moresnet Became Part of Belgium

Between 1816 and 1919, Neutral Moresnet was a geographical curiosity on the border triangle between Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

Series: Jan van Eyck

arts Tom Christiaens

2 min reading time

Discover Jan van Eyck Pixel by Pixel

Now you can zoom in on every inch of Jan van Eyck's paintings and miniatures. Thanks to the VERONA project, almost the entire oeuvre of the medieval master is now accessible online in ultra-high-resolution images.

Series: Babel in the Low Countries

language Luc Devoldere

3 min reading time

French Still Resonates in the Linguistic Universe of the Fleming

For centuries, the Dutch language in Belgium had to pave the way for French. And yet, editor-in-chief Luc Devoldere, a Fleming, wouldn’t miss French for the world.

language Kieran O'Keefe

7 min reading time

When Did New York Stop Speaking Dutch?

Despite the English conquest of the northeast coast of North America in 1664, the Dutch language continued to thrive in New York and northern New Jersey for generations, persisting into the twentieth century in certain areas.

Series: Old Works, Young Writers

arts Jasmijn Post

3 min reading time

Jasmijn Post: The Corset

Jasmijn Post brings the painting 'The Love Letter' by Johannes Vermeer to life. We listen to a woman whose feelings are restricted by social conventions.

arts Michael Palmer

9 min reading time

Léon Spilliaert, a Troubled and Troubling Painter

From his celebrated self-portraits to dreamlike scenes of the North Sea coast, a major exhibition in London will introduce UK audiences to the visionary work of Flemish artist Léon Spilliaert.

arts Marisa Anne Bass

5 min reading time

Joris Hoefnagel and the Solace of Nature during the Dutch Revolt

The Renaissance polymath Joris Hoefnagel is best known today for his stunning miniatures of insects, but less well known is the troubling context in which those works were made.

Series: The Cultural Attaché

arts Renske Ebbers

7 min reading time

Cultural Attaché Beate Gerlings in Berlin: ‘Germany is a Candyland for Everyone Active in the Cultural Field’

arts Maarten Buser

6 min reading time

Biodesigner Emma van der Leest is Growing a Sustainable Future

Dutch biodesigner Emma van der Leest researches how she can make sustainable materials with bacteria and algae. Her work is part of the group exhibition Polarities, on show at MU in Eindhoven until 1 March 2020.

Friday Verses

literature Maarten Buser

1 min reading time

Maarten Buser: Outline

This week's Friday Verses are written by Maarten Buser. We selected his poem ‘Outline’.

history Piet Chielens

10 min reading time

1917, a Crucial Year in Flanders Fields

If we consider the history of the First World War from the perspective of its enduring legacy, 1917 was the most crucial year of all.

Series: Old Works, Young Writers

arts Dieter De Schutter

1 min reading time

Dieter De Schutter: King

Dieter De Schutter drew a graphic story inspired by the masked figure on a ferry in a 370-year-old river landscape. ‘I can never step out of line.’

Friday Verses

literature Paul Demets

2 min reading time

Paul Demets: Unstirring Leaves

The last Friday Verses of 2019 are written by Paul Demets. We selected his poem ‘Unstirring Leaves’.

history Hilde Pach

7 min reading time

The World’s First Yiddish Newspaper Was Printed in Amsterdam

What did 'the Kurant' write about and who were its readers?

Series: Jan van Eyck

arts Tom Christiaens

1 min reading time

Before and After: Watch the Amazing Results of the Restored Ghent Altarpiece

The lower interior panels of Van Eyck's 'Adoration of the Mystic Lamb' have now been restored.

Series

Best Of 2019

Intersection

arts Hind Fraihi

7 min reading time

Solidarity Is the Highest Form of Culture

The Flemish government has proposed severe cuts in arts funding over the next few years. In 2011, the cultural sector in the Netherlands was forced to make do with a budget cut of about 200 million euro. What can the Flemish artists learn from their Dutch colleagues?

The L-Spot

history Derek Blyth

2 min reading time

Remembering the V2 Attack on Cinema Rex

75 years ago, a German V2 bomb hit the popular Cinema Rex in Antwerp. 567 people were killed. It took more than a week to recover their bodies from under the rubble.

history Dirk Van Assche

3 min reading time

75 Years Ago the Batlle of the Bulge Sealed Nazi Germany’s Fate

On 16 December 1944, Allies Beat Back the Nazi Troops in their last major western offensive campaign of World War II.

First Book

literature Dirk Vandenberghe

7 min reading time

Getting Used to Life After Loss with Judith Maassen

‘Het nabestaan van Anna Portier’ is a poignant debut about mourning, dying and the lives we lead or don't.

arts CODART

2 min reading time

These Are the 100 Most Important Dutch and Flemish Works of Art

CODART, the international network of curators of Dutch and Flemish art, has announced the CODART Canon.

arts

0 min reading time

A Naïve Engineer. Panamarenko's Art

Panamarenko made aeroplanes. Or are they works of art as well? If you asked him this question, he gave various answers or, probably, no answer at all. Being an artist meant nothing to him.

Series: Old Works, Young Writers

arts Edna Azulay

2 min reading time

Edna Azulay: night owls

Edna Azulay has composed an ode to the intoxication of 'The Drunken Couple' by Jan Steen.

history Tom Christiaens

2 min reading time

The Amsterdam Zoo Was a Hiding Place to Escape From the Nazis

During the German occupation, around 250 people hid in Amsterdam Artis Zoo to escape from Nazi persecution.

Friday Verses

literature Kevin Amse

2 min reading time

Kevin Amse: I Need Help

This week's Friday Verses are written by Kevin Amse. We selected his poem ‘I Need Help’.

society Gerrit Verhoeven

6 min reading time

Tourists, Go Home!

Tourism is increasingly becoming more of a curse than a blessing in Amsterdam, Bruges, Maastricht and numerous other places in the Low Countries.

Series: Best Of 2019

language Tom Christiaens

1 min reading time

The Top 5 Language Stories of the Year

Our best language stories of 2019, handpicked by the editor.

Series: Old Works, Young Writers

arts Cesar Majorana

3 min reading time

Cesar Majorana: Confessions of a Copy

Cesar Majorana gives a voice to a painting in the shadow of 'The Night Watch'.

Series: Old Works, Young Writers

arts Iduna Paalman

2 min reading time

Iduna Paalman: Maria de’ Medici Gets Ready

Iduna Paalman wrote a poem about the rise and fall of Maria de’ Medici to accompany a militia piece by Joachim von Sandrart.

literature Tom Christiaens

2 min reading time

Treasures of World-Famous Fagel Collection To Be Discovered

The world-famous Dutch private library will be made more accessible for scientific research.

Series: Old Works, Young Writers

arts Arno Boey

3 min reading time

Arno Boey: I Sweat in Ultramarine

Arno Boey gives a voice to the painting 'The Milkmaid' by Johannes Vermeer.

Series: Our Colonial Legacy

society Anna P.H. Geurts

5 min reading time

The 'Black Pete' of W.B. Yeats

For some, he was a servant, for others a vanquished devil. However, the Irish poet W.B. Yeats sheds a different light on the origins of the controversial Black Pete tradition.

literature Henk Pröpper

8 min reading time

‘Dear Politicians, Reading Must Be Given Top Priority’

How can we counteract the decline in reading, especially among young people? Former publisher Henk Pröpper has a message for politicians.

arts Lieve Dierckx and Mia Vaerman

9 min reading time

From Jeanne Brabants to Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui: Royal Ballet of Flanders Celebrates 50 Years

The only remaining professional ballet company in Belgium celebrates. But the future is uncertain.

Series: Our Colonial Legacy

arts Mirjam Westen

12 min reading time

Iris Kensmil Paints the Reach and Richness of Black History

The artist dismantles stereotypes about women and people of colour.

literature Dutch Foundation for Literature

2 min reading time

Chinese Children’s Book Prize for The Mystery of Life

An expert selection committee chose the Dutch book as one of the ten winners from the more than one hundred thousand books that were published that year in China.

Series: Old Works, Young Writers

arts Amarylis De Gryse

3 min reading time

Amarylis De Gryse: Ordinary Men

Amarylis De Gryse got inspired by the painting 'The Company of Captain Albert Bas and Lieutenant Lucas Conijn'. She explores the inner life of a militiaman.

language Nicoline van der Sijs

4 min reading time

New Study Shows That Dutch and Flemish Emigrants Cling to Their Language and Culture

Remarkable conclusions from the very first global study of the preservation of Dutch language, culture and identity.

society Hendrik Vos

4 min reading time

Young, Belgian and Ambitious. Here’s the New President of Europe

Belgian politician Charles Michel made a rapid rise to the political pinnacle of Europe.

arts Hilde Van Canneyt

9 min reading time

Enter At Your Own Risk: The Houses of Jonas Vansteenkiste

Jonas Vansteenkiste creates spaces that are best described as ‘mental environments’. He invites the audience to enter.

Series: Moving Verses

literature Tom Christiaens

2 min reading time

The Last Video Poem of Moving Verses: The Method iv. by Arno Van Vlierberghe

Tharim Cornelisse made a poetic film after the poem ‘The Method iv.' by Arno Van Vlierberghe.

history Elisabeth van Houts

7 min reading time

When the First Queen of England Came from Flanders

Few Flemish women have played such a major role in political history and are nearly forgotten today as Matilda of Flanders.

arts CODART

4 min reading time

CODART Launches a Canon of Early Modern Art from the Low Countries and You Can Decide What Has to Be Included

You can choose which Flemish and Dutch works of art deserve a place in the CODART Canon.

Friday Verses

literature Roel Richelieu Van Londersele

2 min reading time

Roel Richelieu Van Londersele: Promises

In his latest poetry collection 'Hopper on the hill', Roel Richelieu Van Londersele is inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper.

history Ulrich Tiedau

2 min reading time

100 Years Dutch Studies Celebrated with Conference on the Low Countries

Academics from all over the world gathered in London to talk about the language, arts, literature and history of Flanders and the Netherlands.

Series: Babel in the Low Countries

language Luc Devoldere

4 min reading time

A Fleming Is a Belgian Who Speaks Dutch

When it comes to language, Belgium has a complex history. That is beautifully illustrated by the position of French-language literature written at the end of the 19^th century by Flemings.

arts Koen Peeters

5 min reading time

James Ensor, Painter of Both the Exalted and the Vulgar

Seventy years ago, James Ensor died in a hospital in Ostend. Writer Koen Peeters brings an ode to this ‘realist, pleinairist, painter of light and masks’.

Series: Moving Verses

literature Tom Christiaens

1 min reading time

Video Poem: Life on Mars by Peter Verhelst

Suzanna van Oers made a poetic film after the poem ‘Life on Mars’ by Peter Verhelst.

literature Tom Christiaens

6 min reading time

Harvest of the University Press (autumn 2019)

A selection of recent university press publications about the Low Countries in English.

literature Tom Christiaens

1 min reading time

Te Gussinklo and Scheijen Win BookSpot Literature Prize

Dutch writers Wessel te Gussinklo and Sjeng Scheijen have won the 2019 BookSpot Literature Prize.

Series: The Cultural Attaché

arts Tijana Stepanovic

9 min reading time

Cultural Attaché Roel van de Ven in London: ‘Brexit is Causing Inconvenience and Affects Our Cultural Relations’

Series: Babel in the Low Countries

language Luc Devoldere

5 min reading time

Latin Was the Only Truly European Language

Latin is often denounced for being elitist, but people tend to forget that, before, anyone had to master it as a second language. Therefore, not a single European nation could feel disadvantaged by Latin.

Friday Verses

literature Jonas Bruyneel

2 min reading time

Jonas Bruyneel: Glass Borders

This week's Friday Verses are written by Jonas Bruyneel. We selected his poem ‘Glass Borders’.

society Anna P.H. Geurts

5 min reading time

From ‘Gezellig’ to Clean. Why the Dutch No Longer Love Carpets and Chamber Pots

In the twentieth century, the Dutch gradually became more concerned about cleanliness in their household than about comfort.

First Book

literature Dirk Vandenberghe

6 min reading time

‘De Wateraap’ is a Fearless Ode to Nature

Mariken Heitman has written a penetrating debut about gender identity.

literature Aleid Truijens

6 min reading time

Still Reading 'Turkish Delight' In the #MeToo Era? Yes, But With Reservations

Fifty years ago, Jan Wolkers shook the Netherlands to its foundations with 'Turkish Delight'. Aleid Truijens blushed when she reread his taboo-breaking classic novel.

arts CODART

2 min reading time

New Volume of Netherlands Yearbook for History of Art Published

Volume 68 (2018) of the Netherlands Yearbook for History of Art appeared.

history Geert van istendael

5 min reading time

Thirty Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall, the Great Divide is Still Visible in Germany

What has happened to the East Germans since 9 November 1989? They had celebrated the prompt reunification with exuberant joy. However today, the gap between East and West still exists.

Series: Moving Verses

literature Tom Christiaens

1 min reading time

Video Poem: A Girl by Toon Tellegen

Tess Steijvers made a poetic film after the poem 'A Girl' by Toon Tellegen.

language Henriette Louwerse

6 min reading time

‘Dutch Is Our Language: We Use It, but We Don’t Own It’

Henriette Louwerse, Director of Dutch Studies and Senior Lecturer in Dutch at the University of Sheffield, argues for an open and inclusive approach towards the Dutch language.

arts CODART

1 min reading time

Complete Overview of Bruegel’s Oeuvre Now Online

The Flemish Art Collection has launched a new website dedicated entirely to the life and work of Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

history René van Stipriaan

6 min reading time

How Amsterdam Became the Bookshop of the World

In the 17^th century, the Dutch Republic was the center of the European book trade.

history Dominiek Dendooven

8 min reading time

Asians on the Western Front: The Forgotten Soldiers of World War I

About a quarter of a million Asians were present on and near the front in Belgium and Northern France during the First World War.

language Olga Tokarczuk

11 min reading time

Nobel Laureate Olga Tokarczuk on Polish: 'A Language With an Eternal Hunger'

In our book 'Standing Tall in Babel. Languages in Europe' (2007) Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk wrote an essay on her mother tongue, Polish. Or is it her father tongue?

literature Tom Christiaens

1 min reading time

10 Dutch (Graphic) Novels You Need to Read This Autumn

Take a look at our selection of recently translated Dutch literature.

Series: Our Colonial Legacy

history Pepijn Brandon & Ulbe Bosma

6 min reading time

Slavery Was of Major Importance to the Dutch Economy

Dutch historians have long worked on the assumption that the significance of Atlantic slavery to the Dutch economy was marginal. This assumption is incorrect.

Series: Babel in the Low Countries

language Luc Devoldere

3 min reading time

Emperor Charles V Spoke to Women in Italian and to Horses in German

Emperor Charles V embodied the complex linguistic situation in the Low Countries.

history Hilde Eynikel

15 min reading time

Rebel with a Cause: Father Damien on Molokai

On 11 October 2009, the Flemish missionary, known as Father Damien, was declared a saint for his extraordinary service in caring for the lepers on the Hawaiian island of Molokai in the 19th Century.

Postcard

history Derek Blyth

10 min reading time

All Roads Lead to Tongeren

Belgium's oldest city has refreshed its identity. Thanks to the Romans.

Museum Explorer

arts Virginie Platteau

5 min reading time

MIMA: The Museum That Wants to Be a Game

The Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art wants to present “cultural history 2.0”. That's why it has been rethought as a computer game.

The L-Spot

society Derek Blyth

2 min reading time

A Whiter Shade of Car

The bicycle and car sharing that we know today can be traced back to the ‘White Bicycles’ and ‘White Cars’ initiated by the Provo movement.

arts Maarten Buser

6 min reading time

Wouter Paijmans’ Artistic Flair Can Be Found in Little Slip-Ups

Wouter Paijmans recently exchanged the brush for needle and thread. Still, the painterly approach can be seen in his 'confection paintings'.

history

0 min reading time

Messalina or Salomé? The Life and Times of Mata Hari, International Woman of Mystery

Margaretha Geertruida Zelle was born in Leeuwarden in 1876 but became infamous as Mata Hari, exotic, mistress extraordinaire and possible superspy. Was she indeed as deceitful and voluptuous as often described? Lots of questions and only some answers about this sinister Salomé.

Intersection

society Hind Fraihi

7 min reading time

Why Is the Far Right So Successful in Dominating Social Media?

The far right uses social media as a sort of pulpit from which to lash out without restraint against the left and society’s alleged excesses.

history Dirk Van Assche

6 min reading time

75 Years Ago, the Nazis Took Revenge on the Allies with the V1 and V2

On 13 October 1944, the first V1 fell on Antwerp. This was the start of a long period of fear and terror.

language Julie van den Hout

7 min reading time

Why We All Should Learn Seventeenth-Century Dutch

If you really want to understand how the Dutch lived in the Golden Age, then you should learn to read 17th century Dutch.

language Anna P.H. Geurts

5 min reading time

Why Dutch-Speakers Have Such a Hard Time with Gender-Neutral Language

The English language knows 'they' for one person. But in Dutch a gender-neutral alternative to 'he' and 'she' is still a long way off. This may have to do with a grammatical rule that Dutch speakers consider important.

literature Tom Christiaens

2 min reading time

Here Comes the Dutch Literary Invasion

Starting this month, Dutch literature will present itself under the title 'New Dutch Writing' at more than 70 festivals and events in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

language Marc van Oostendorp

10 min reading time

Bring on the Language Police!

Words become outlawed, and people with different opinions soon accuse the other party of engaging in ‘framing’. Are the language police just round the corner?

arts Eddy de Jongh

14 min reading time

The Malleable Rembrandt

Dutch art often appears in debates about identity, and this always happens in terms of what is 'own' and 'foreign' to it. Rembrandt in particular turns out to be very 'malleable'.

language Helen Chang

2 min reading time

The Dutch Language Is Deeply Rooted in Guyana

There are still numerous historical references to the Dutch language in Guyana.

Series: The Cultural Attaché

arts Lisa Grob

7 min reading time

Cultural Attaché Friso Wijnen in Paris: ‘Keep the Protocols in Mind and They Will Work to Your Advantage’

Series: Babel in the Low Countries

language Luc Devoldere

3 min reading time

‘When It Comes to Language, I’m a Sentimentalist’

Editor-in-chief Luc Devoldere considers himself a language romanticist. 'A romanticist will consider language as the spine of one’s identity.'

arts Hilde Van Canneyt

8 min reading time

Kasper Bosmans: ‘Each of My Artworks is Like an Onion’

In his playful works Kasper Bosmans investigates histories of traditions and objects creating new narratives to offer a critical view on cultural and political relics.

The L-Spot

literature Derek Blyth

1 min reading time

The Subtle Art of Making Neighbours

Dutch artists painted a giant bookcase on an apartment building in Utrecht featuring residents’ favorite books.

arts Joost Devriesere

6 min reading time

The Healing Humanism of Amenra

Portrait of a Flemish metal band that far exceeds the genre and puts bandages on gaping wounds.

language Luc Devoldere

10 min reading time

Thriving in Babel: Plea for a Multilingual Europe

Luc Devoldere states that we have no choice in Europe, but to become as multilingual as possible.

Miscellaneous

society Luc Devoldere

4 min reading time

Long Live the Crisis of Democracy?

Just going by today’s headlines, the end of Western democracy seems imminent. However, is a crisis not the essence of a democracy?