Hendrik Willem van Os (28 February 1938 – 14 June 2025) was a Dutch

art historian Art history is the study of artistic works made throughout human history. Among other topics, it studies art’s formal qualities, its impact on societies and cultures, and how artistic styles have changed throughout history. Traditionally, the ...

. He served as professor of Art and Cultural History, director of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, and presenter of television programs on art.

Biography

Henk van Os studied

art history Art history is the study of Work of art, artistic works made throughout human history. Among other topics, it studies art’s formal qualities, its impact on societies and cultures, and how artistic styles have changed throughout history. Tradit ...

at the

University of Groningen The University of Groningen (abbreviated as UG; , abbreviated as RUG) is a Public university#Continental Europe, public research university of more than 30,000 students in the city of Groningen (city), Groningen, Netherlands. Founded in 1614, th ...

, where his father, Frederik van Os, served as

rector magnificus A rector (Latin for 'ruler') is a senior official in an educational institution, and can refer to an official in either a university or a secondary school. Outside the English-speaking world, the rector is often the most senior official in a u ...

during two terms. He also spent time studying in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. In 1969, he earned his doctorate in

Groningen Groningen ( , ; ; or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. Dubbed the "capital of the north", Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of ...

and became professor of Art and Cultural History there in 1974. Between 1984 and 1989, he was also dean of the Faculty of Arts. From 1989 to 1996, he served as director of the

Rijksmuseum Amsterdam The Rijksmuseum () is the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch arts and history and is located in Amsterdam. The museum is located at the Museumplein, Museum Square in the stadsdeel, borough of Amsterdam-Zuid, Amsterdam South, ...

, after which he became university professor of Art and Society at the

University of Amsterdam The University of Amsterdam (abbreviated as UvA, ) is a public university, public research university located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Established in 1632 by municipal authorities, it is the fourth-oldest academic institution in the Netherlan ...

. Van Os became widely known to the public through his presentation of TV programs such as ''Beeldenstorm'' (AVRO) and ''Museumschatten'' (VARA), which aimed to popularize art, especially painting. He also organized major exhibitions outside of the Rijksmuseum, including at the Groninger Museum: ''Ilja Repin, The Secret of Russia'' (2001–2002); the

Mauritshuis The Mauritshuis (, ; ) is an art museum in The Hague, Netherlands. The museum houses the Royal Cabinet of Paintings which consists of 854 objects, mostly Dutch Golden Age paintings. The collection contains works by Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt van ...

in The Hague: ''Dream of Italy'' (2006); Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam and Museum Catharijneconvent in

Utrecht Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...

: ''On the Way to Heaven'' (2000/2001) and ''Franciscus'' (2016). In 2012, a book was published containing letters between Van Os and his son

Pieter Pieter is a male given name, the Dutch language, Dutch form of Peter (name), Peter. The name has been one of the most common names in the Netherlands for centuries, but since the mid-twentieth century its popularity has dropped steadily, from a ...

, discussing Van Os' religious motivations. He received numerous national and international honors, including the rare Medal for Arts and Science of the House Order of Orange. Van Os died in Amsterdam on 14 June 2025, aged 87.Voor kunsthistoricus en Rijksmuseum-directeur Henk van Os stond cultuur midden in de samenleving. Dat bracht hij over bij een breed publiek

Selected publications

* With Wim Hazeu, ''The Joys of Art History''. Baarn, De Prom, 1993 * ''The Road to Heaven: Relic Worship in the Middle Ages''. Baarn, De Prom, 2000 * ''Dutch Art in the Rijksmuseum'', Vol. 1, 1400–1600. Zwolle, Waanders, 2000 * ''Iconoclasm: Selected''. Amsterdam University Press Salomé, 2002 * ''Seeing Is Enough''. Amsterdam, Balans, 2003 / 2005 * ''Motherland History'', 2005 * (with contributions by Epco Runia), ''Dream of Italy''. The Hague, Mauritshuis / Zwolle, Waanders, 2006 * ''Augustine on the Beach''. Amsterdam, Balans, 2008 * ''The Discovery of the Netherlands: Four Centuries of Landscape Depicted by Dutch Masters''. Nai Publishers, 2008 * ''Young in Groningen: Art from the Period 1945–1975''. Groninger Museum, 2009 * ''Pioneers of Modern Art'', in: exhibition catalog ''Matisse to Malevich: Pioneers of Modern Art from the Hermitage'', Hermitage Amsterdam, 2010, pp. 13–19 (guest curator: Henk van Os) * ''Just Look''. Balans, 2nd edition, 2012 * ''Art Is Life, Life Is Art'', in: ''

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (6 May 1880 – 15 June 1938) was a German Expressionism, expressionist Painting, painter and printmaker and one of the founders of the artists group Die Brücke or "The Bridge", a key group leading to the foundation of Expr ...

. Paradise in the Mountains'', Bussum, Uitgeverij Thoth / Singer Laren, 2015 * ''Sacred and Profane Families''. Balans, 2015 * ''Artful: Collected Columns''. Rembrandt Association, 2017

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Os, Henk van 1938 births 2025 deaths People from Harderwijk Dutch art historians

Biography

Selected publications

Further reading

References

External links