Duke University Office of Study Abroad

Dear Global Education Office for Undergraduates:

The Duke in Flanders and The Netherlands summer program is unique because we are lucky enough to have experienced two different yet similar countries during our time abroad. While studying the art and visual culture of the Golden Age, we spent the first two weeks in Amsterdam, Holland, and then moved to Ghent, Belgium for the last four. In both countries, we worked in a classroom environment, also "in the field" visiting the towns that were central to the development of art at the time, as well as the museums that feature the works we read about and studied in lecture. What better way to apply knowledge first-hand than to experience the subject up-close?

One highlight was the sense of accomplishment I felt after our second practical exercise, which consisted of identifying the date, origin, iconography, material, condition, and significance of a painting in a private collection. I could never have done that before, as at the beginning I didn't even know where to start! One of my other favorite memories was a Sunday trip to The Hague to see Vermeer's famous Girl with a Pearl Earring in the Mauritshuis, wander through a phenomenal Mondrian museum, and wade in the North Sea in Schevenegen.

Overall, I enjoyed exploring the city of Amsterdam, which seems a kind of mix between Venice in appearance and San Francisco in vibe, with a strong international influence and unique twist all its own, and getting to know Ghent, which while seeming frozen in time is quite modern. I've been back less than a week, but I already miss it!

– Brooke Kingsland