Politics, wealth and the development of new art

To truly understand how such a tiny country was able to amass such wealth, power and influence that survives until today, you must immerse yourself in history.

As with all great periods of art, it was the times that created the Golden Age. In 1568 the provinces of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Gelderland, Groningen, Friesland, and Overijssel had declared their independence from Spain. Most of Northern Europe had felt the devastation of the Thirty Years' War from 1618-48. Yet the Dutch had been strangely unaffected, protected by the geographical problems of crossing both the dikes and their efficient navy.

In particular, the province of Holland and its capital, Amsterdam, grew into one of the largest financial, shipping and trading centres for all of western Europe. Money begat money. The famous merchant town houses along the canals and a variety of wealthily appointed public buildings were constructed. Artists were drawn by the expanded possibilities of commissions.

Freedom to experiment

It was also at this time that the well-known Dutch "tolerance" came into play; a heady combination of religious and intellectual tolerance that was unrivalled in Europe. It was the perfect environment to nurture, and pay for, artistic freedom and experimentation.

Not only did a huge variety of painting "schools" and styles co-exist quite happily during this time, the principal patrons of the arts had changed and with it, styles and content seemed to grow almost exponentially. Until that time art had been supported by the church or aristocracy.

At that time, however, the Dutch Reformed church was opposed to placing images inside their houses of worship and the medieval aristocracy lived largely in rural areas, outside of the urban boom. In the 17th century it was the "burgher", the cities' merchant class, that cried out for representations that glorified their own, everyday life. For the first time in history art became available to the burgeoning, newly developing upper and middle classes.

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