The CNA Fellowship program supports and nurtures future generations of scholars and specialists in Netherlandish Art. Through mentorship and access to the MFA’s rich collections, resources, and research facilities, fellows jointly further their professional development and are part of an active learning community. The CNA seeks to build a global cohort of fellows and foster meaningful connections to enhance the field of Netherlandish Art as a whole.

CNA fellowships provide opportunities for talented individuals at different stages of their careers—from recent MA graduates to emerging scholars at the postdoctoral level—to conduct independent research connected to the MFA’s collection of Netherlandish art. This may include preparation for submission of a PhD proposal, dissertation research and writing, and preparing a publication, among other research activities. To encourage creative thinking and new scholarship, the program is open to individuals in all professional and academic fields. The CNA acknowledges the continued need to make the field of Netherlandish Art more inclusive and equitable, and seeks to foster professionals of all identities and nationalities representing a range of backgrounds, prior experiences, and research priorities. Fellows are drawn from a highly competitive international application pool and receive a workspace in the CNA Library. Compensation includes a salary and travel allowance, as well as a generous benefits package.

Fellows are fully incorporated into the work of the MFA and may consult on projects related to their research. They also share their research through the CNA’s and MFA’s public programs and online platforms to benefit a range of audiences.

2025–26 CNA Research Fellows

Renata Nagy

Renata received her PhD at Yale University in 2025, focusing her research on user engagement with Netherlandish natural history books and works on paper from the 17th century. She cocurated the exhibition “Thinking Small: Dutch Art to Scale,” which was on view at the MFA and Yale University Art Gallery in 2023 to 2024, and she curated a digital exhibition at Yale showcasing readers’ practices in books devoted to the study of nature. Most recently, Renata was a museum fellow at the Yale Center for British Art.

Hannah Prescott

Hannah is a PhD candidate at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her dissertation focuses on the representation and global circulation of linen in the Dutch Republic during the 17th century. She previously worked as the Kress predoctoral fellow for the Dutch Textile Trade Project and held curatorial internships at the National Gallery of Art, the Walters Art Museum, and the Frick Collection. As an incoming predoctoral fellow at the CNA, Hannah is excited to integrate the MFA’s collection of linen textiles into her research.

Henrike Scholten

Henrike is a PhD candidate at Utrecht University, within the European Research Council–funded project “Dynamics of the Durable: A History of Making Things Last in the Visual and Decorative Arts.” She completed her master’s degree in Arts and Cultural Studies at the University of Groningen, with a dissertation investigating the complex social and material dynamics of water-based painting techniques in the 17th century. Her research interests include works on paper, the history of art education, and reconstructing historical artistic techniques based on written sources.

2025 Hans Brenninkmeyer Visiting Senior Fellowship

Introduced in 2024, the Hans Brenninkmeyer Visiting Senior fellowship invites established scholars to participate in a short-term residence at the CNA, where they can conduct independent research and contribute to the vibrant intellectual life of the Center through activities such as lectures, workshops, and panel discussions. The fellowship creates an opportunity for participants to nurture outstanding research, work with MFA collections, and connect with MFA staff and members of the CNA community.

In spring 2025, the CNA hosted Judith Noorman, associate professor of Early Modern Art History at the University of Amsterdam, as the second Brenninkmeyer fellow. Erma Hermens, director of the Hamilton Kerr Institute at the University of Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum, was the inaugural Brenninkmeyer fellow in spring 2024.