The roots of the art academy in Rotterdam go back to 1773, when a group of Rotterdam artists around the marine painter
Hendrik Kobell founded the drawing society
Tekengenootschap Hierdoor tot Hooger. In those days drawing societies and academies were founded in many Dutch cities. According to Knolle (2014), these were "instances where new ideas about the production and function of art were developed, exchanged and put into practice. New arrived painters practiced themselves in the evening in drawing from the nude; young apprentice artists and craftsmen received drawing education; other enthusiasts developed their sense for art, for a better life, but also to judiciously collect—preferably Dutch—art." In 1781, the drawing society was turned into a public academy: the
Rotterdamse Academie. In addition to earlier programmes, there were now classes in engineering, perspective theory, anatomy and art philosophy. The academy also kept acting as a meeting place for discussion with 303 members in 1808, while at the education counted 45 pupils. In 1822 the academy was renamed
Stadstekenschool voor de Bouwkunde, and in 1832 renamed to
Volksindustrieschool. In 1851 the
Academie van Beeldende Kunsten en Technische Wetenschappen was founded from the merger of the
Rotterdamse Tekengenootschap and the
Rotterdamse Industrieschool. It was located in a building at the Coolvest, now
Coolsingel, and headed by Jan Hendrik van de Laar (1807–1874). The school had two divisions, namely division A, where the arts classes were taught, and division B, which was technically oriented. In 1970 the school was renamed
Academie van Beeldende Kunsten, and finally
Willem de Kooning Academie in 1998. ==Programs==