A prosperous middle class eager to express its status and its new sense of national pride, replaced the church and monarchy as the primary patrons of art.
1600 - 1700
videos + essays
We're making new content all the time!
The Dutch art market in the 17th century
More than 5 million artworks were produced in 17th-century Holland in the span of about 100 years
Painting Brazil for the Dutch art market, Frans Post, Landscape with Ruins in Olinda
Idealized depictions of sugar plantations and African laborers in Dutch-colonial Brazil were popular in the Dutch art market in the 17th century
Model of the Dutch East India Company ship “Valkenisse”
From Asia to the Netherlands, the Dutch East India Company dominated maritime trade in the 17th and 18th centuries
Michaelina Wautier, The Five Senses
This willfully forgotten Dutch artist explores how we experience the world around us during the time of the Scientific Revolution
Symbolism and meaning in Dutch still life painting
This collection of objects speaks to the international mercantile culture and wealth of the Netherlands in the 17th century.
Early Dutch Torah Finials
One of the earliest of its type, these architectural finials would have decorated a Torah, the sacred text of Judaism, and feature dragon-like creatures and bells
Rembrandt, Abraham Francen
This intimate portrait of Rembrandt's friend and his collection also hints at the city of Amsterdam's wealth and global connections at this time
Osias Beert, Still Life with Various Vessels on a Table
What lies behind this ornate display of pewter, oysters, blue-and-white porcelain, and sugary sweets?
Rembrandt, Christ Preaching (Hundred Guilder Print)
One of Rembrandt’s most technically ambitious prints has been primarily known more for its price tag than for its subject: The Hundred Guilder Print.
Van Mander rewrites art history
Van Mander rewrites art history in this book of "celebrity" artists from the Netherlands
Anthony van Dyck, Self-Portrait as Icarus with Daedalus
Van Dyck paints himself as Icarus, a boy whose wings melted when he flew too close to the sun
Browse Smarthistory images for teaching & learning!