The Netherlands occupies an internationally prominent position when it comes to the scholarly study of Italian art. This is partly due to the Dutch University Institute for Art History’s role as a link between the Dutch academic and museum world and many scholarly and cultural institutions throughout Italy.
But the institute also has a spearhead function: it pursues a progressive research policy, which is epitomized by the projects and the structural support of individual visitors.
NIKI’s traditional strengths are the study of art production in northern and central Italy, in particular Lombardy, Venice and the Veneto, Bologna-Modena-Ferrara and, of course, Florence and Siena.
Some of the current areas of focus are:
- The organization of the Renaissance artist’s workshop
- The history of drawing and printmaking
- Caravaggism in Tuscany and northern Italy
- The special focus on the study of drawing and graphics is reflected in the institute’s publications and the exhibitions it organizes.
New areas of focus include:
- Design
- Marketing of cultural heritage
- For that purpose, the institute is working together with academies and institutes outside Florence.
