Few in the academic world will have missed it: the Dutch government plans to impose substantial budget cuts on higher education, posing a significant threat to the humanities. Separately, plans were presented earlier this year in Leiden to merge the language programmes French, German, Italian, Chinese, and Japanese into broader, general programmes. Similarly, geographically focused studies like South and Southeast Asian Studies would be merged, specializations within Middle Eastern Studies are at risk of disappearing and the BA programmes African Studies and Latin American Studies may even be completely scrapped. Multiple (research) MA programmes are also slated to be merged or cut.

Arthur Crucq

In the ongoing lecture series hosted by Leiden University Libraries (UBL), the spotlight turns to the significance of art and art history as a discipline in the broader context of the humanities. The speaker for this session is Dr. Arthur Crucq. He is a University Lecturer at the Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society. He lectures about topics such as art and anthropology, art theory, representation and style, regarding fields as diverse as architecture, ornament, painting, sculpture and textiles. In recent years he published on artists books, community arts, empirical methods in art history, Dutch-East Indies art, subcultures, sustainable architecture, and on the significance of textiles in Gottfried Semper’s style theory.

Even though the Art History programme is not yet directly affected by the upcoming budget cuts, the field for which it trains, the art sector, knows the tricks of the trade. In 2011, this sector was already hit by a wave of budget cuts, and the Malieveld was packed then as well. 

The negative discourse about art, and especially contemporary art, as a “leftist hobby” has hardly subsided. The question is how to explain the persistence of such views. Armed with a healthy dose of self-reflection, art historian Arthur Crucq wants to address this, including a brief discussion of art policy over the past century and a half in relation to developments within the arts themselves and the rise of popular culture and the entertainment industry. In light of this, he will address the question of the extent to which the art sector has indeed lost connection with a certain audience in recent decades and perhaps gained connection with another audience. What does this mean for the public legitimacy of art and also for that of the humanities discipline that studies it: art history?

Events about the importance of the humanities, lectures by humanities researchers, for an audience largely consisting of humanities scholars – isn't this preaching to the choir? The answer is: yes, if the aim of the event were to 'convince.' But this audience does not need convincing.

Therefore, the goal is not to conduct a debate, but rather to create a space for reflection where researchers, lecturers, and students can pause to consider questions that they themselves may not always have immediate answers to. By taking the time to engage in dialogue and reflect collectively on the position of humanities scholars, these events aim to better equip scholars for conversations with those who may be less supportive. Nuance and reflection do not preclude a polemical stance or a compelling narrative; on the contrary.

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