Participants will learn about printmaking techniques and learn and practice some visual art analysis skills even as they dive into the complicated and fascinating history of the Dutch Anabaptism, a faith tradition which has been a part of the fabric of Dutch life and society since 1530. We will be looking at art and book illustrations from the holdings of the remarkable Doopsgezinde Bibliotheek collection. From polemical imagery of the “Naked Runners” and violent uprisings of Wederdopers on the streets of Amsterdam to scenes of pious Mennonite baptisms in the Singelkerk and portraits of respectable ministers, Dutch visual culture is rife with representations of Dutch Anabaptist and Mennonite history. These images use particular iconographical tropes and compositional approaches to build, reinforce, or challenge particular narratives about this minority faith group. After an introductory lecture exploring key approaches that artists took to illustrate events from early Anabaptist history and Mennonite history in the Netherlands, workshop participants will get the opportunity to take the ideas and tools that have been discussed and analyse a particular broadsheet or book illustration independently or in small groups under guidance of the workshop leader. This will be followed by a closing group discussion.
Dr. Nina Schroeder van ’t Schip is an art historian and specialist in Dutch Mennonite history based in the Netherlands. She researches and publishes on Mennonite involvement and representation in the Dutch art world, and she is also a contributing author for the Other Map of Amsterdam. Nina is presently employed by Doopsgezind Amsterdam where she organizes an English-language service and carries out historical research. Nina also contributes to heritage sector educational projects, creates bespoke history tours, and organizes arts programming via her business, Amsterdam Arts & Heritage.