Henk van Os (1938) studied art history in Groningen, The Netherlands, where he later took up the post of professor. His PhD dissertation dealt with images of Mary in late medieval paintings in Siena. His specialization is early Italian painting. In 2016 he retired as Professor of Art and Society at the University of Amsterdam. From 1989-1996 he was director of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. In the Netherlands he is especially known for the popular television art programs Beeldenstorm and Kunstschatten, in which he made art accessible for a large audience.