Anne harbers

Biography

Anne Harbers is an art historian, lecturer and researcher specialising in European and Australian art, with particular expertise in the decorative arts and Dutch Golden Age painting. She has delivered lectures for leading cultural organisations including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the National Trust, the Royal Society of NSW, WEA Sydney and ArtsNational, as well as presenting at conferences, libraries and community organisations across Australia and internationally.

Anne began her formal art history studies through the University of Oxford's Department for Continuing Education before completing a Master of Arts (Art History) at the University of Sydney in 2014. She has further developed her expertise through specialist programs at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the State Art Collections Dresden (SKD) and the Sotheby's Institute of Art in London and Singapore.

Before pursuing art history full-time, Anne spent more than 25 years working internationally in the biotechnology sector. During this time, she completed a research Master's degree in Chemistry, an MBA specialising in organisational behaviour and marketing, and later undertook postgraduate studies in higher and adult education.

Her current doctoral research at Radboud University in the Netherlands examines the work of the 17th-century Dutch still-life painter Abraham van Beyeren. This research draws on extensive study of museum collections, private collections and auction houses across Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Alongside her teaching and research, Anne is an active writer on art history and collecting, contributing to more than five published books as well as a range of articles on European art and material culture. Today, Anne combines university lecturing, independent research and public speaking with leading cultural tours, sharing her enthusiasm for art, history and museum collections with travellers and lifelong learners alike.