Alette has an MA in Art History (Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam) and holds a Ph.D. in the History of Science and Technology (University of Twente, Enschede). For both her thesis and her dissertation, she researched the intricate relationship between nature, art and science in the 20th century (thesis) and the 17th century (dissertation). Sculpture parks, ornamental gardens, and botanical gardens form the sites of study. As an independent scholar, she presents papers and writes articles on this subject. Alette also teaches art history and lectures on topics such as 17th-century Dutch art and architecture, 18th century Empire design, garden architecture, and landscape engineering. She has curated several exhibitions and stood at the basis of the exhibition Black is Beautiful on the image of black people in Dutch art history. She lives in the city where she was born: Amsterdam.