AMSTERDAM.- Wim Pijbes will hold the position of Humanitas Visiting Professor in the History of Art 2015-16 at the University of Cambridge, England.

The Humanitas Visiting Professorship in the History of Art is a prestigious short term position offered to international guest lecturers by the University of Cambridge. Previous holders have included Pierre Rosenberg and Philippe DeMontebelllo.

Humanitas is a series of Visiting Professorships at Oxford and Cambridge designed to bring leading academics, practitioners and scholars to both universities to address major themes in the arts, social sciences and humanities. Created by Lord Weidenfeld, the Programme is managed by the Weidenfeld Hoffmann Trust with the support of generous benefactors, and co-ordinated in Cambridge by the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH).

While in Cambridge Wim Pijbes will give a public lecture and hold two conversations on Dutch painting and operating a museum in the 21st century with eminent invited discussants. Together with other art historians he will also give a master class on the New Dutch Halls in the Fitzwilliam Museum.

Wim Pijbes is a Dutch art historian and has been the Director of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam since 2008. He was the curator and director of the Kunsthal Rotterdam from 1998 to 2008. Pijbes is Chairman of Droog Design, a board member of the Rembrandt Association and a member of the Advisory Board of Palazzo Strozzi in Florence. Wim Pijbes was a jury member for various cultural projects, including the Municipal Museum in Amsterdam, the Budapest Liget Project and the UK Art Fund Prize for Museum of the Year. He gives lectures and writes about art, artists and the role of museums in society. His publications include a series of books on art for young readers: Het kleine Schilderboek (The Small Painting Book) (2002) and the Rijksmuseum ABC (2015).

In the words of Professor Simon Goldhill, Director, CRASSH: “Our Humanitas Professors have always had a stimulating and enjoyable time at Cambridge. The new Rijksmuseum is a remarkable achievement and we are very pleased that Wim Pijbes has accepted this honorary appointment”.