Center for Netherlandish Art Fellowships

Two young people stand in front of bookshelves and flip through a book.
Two young people stand in front of bookshelves and flip through a book.

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.

Check back in fall 2023 for information on applying for a 2024–25 academic year fellowship. To receive updates on the CNA Fellowship program and related activities, sign up for our newsletter.

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. 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.

2022–23 CNA Research Fellows

Three people stand and sit around a sofa in front of stacks of books.
The 2022–23 CNA research fellows. Left to right: Emily Hirsch, Braden Lee Scott, Aagje Lybeer

Emily Hirsch, Flanders State of the Art Fellow

Emily’s research centers on early modern Flemish sculpture. In the early stages of her PhD trajectory at Brown University, Emily is completing her dissertation proposal as part of her fellowship, and beginning her dissertation writing while making use of the CNA’s and MFA’s resources.

The Flanders State of the Art Fellowship is generously supported by the Government of Flanders.

Braden Lee Scott, Research Fellow

Braden is a PhD candidate at McGill University in his sixth year of the doctoral program in Art History, where he works on the reception of ancient architecture in Renaissance Europe. At the CNA, Braden is analyzing Peter Paul Rubens’ portrait of Mulay Ahmad as an archeological painting that rhetorically excavates landscape and empire.

Aagje Lybeer, Research Fellow

Currently in the third year of the joint doctoral program at the University of St Andrews and Ghent University, Aagje focuses her research on male body postures in 17th-century Dutch portrait paintings. Her research is interdisciplinary, connecting the fields of Art History, Communication Studies, Visual Studies, and Digital Humanities.