Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten (Netherlands)

The Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten ('State Academy of Fine Arts') was founded in 1870 in Amsterdam. It is a classical academy, a place where philosophers, academics and artists meet to test and exchange ideas and knowledge. The school supports visual artists with a two-year curriculum. The Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten was the home of Amsterdam Impressionism, part of the international impressionist movement, and is known as the School of Allebé by art historians; August Allebé became the school's director in 1880. Among its pioneers here were George Breitner, Jan Toorop, Piet Mondrian, Jacques Witjens, and Willem Witsen. Other artists connected with the academy were H. P. Berlage, Willem Wiegmans, Constant Nieuwenhuys, Karel Appel, Corneille, Ger Lataster, Willem Hofhuizen, and Jaap Min. The school provides an education academically comparable with a university. There are open days each year, which provide an opportunity to see the work of young artists.