The Golden Age of the
Dutch Republic
Our objectives are• What were the economic, artistic, and social
strengths of the Dutch Republic?
• You should be able to identify the unique artistic characteristics of Dutch painting during the 17th century.
• What event, drew the Northern Provinces closer together (hint: it started in the 1500s)
The Dutch had acquired a strong national identity in their struggle with
Spain 40 years earlier
Though they weren’t actively fighting in the thirty years war,
they did aid the Protestant cause with money, shipping,
and diplomacy
The Dutch were craftsmen and philosophers.
Toleration was a hallmark of the Dutch Republic. Jews were
welcome, Mennonites, Huguenots and a splinter
group, the Arminians all found safe haven in the Netherlands.
Huyghens (1629-1695)
improved the
telescope
Leeuwenhoek pioneered biology with microscopes
Balthasar Bekker spoke out against witchcraft and other
superstitious beliefs
Anna Maria van
Schurman wrote about educating
women
Perhaps the most famous
area was canvas.
Vermeer’s paintings captured light and
detail.
Rembrandt painted the
bible…
…and commissions that reflected civic pride
Peter de Hooch painted the immaculate Dutch interiors
Still life captured a fleeting nature—and the tulips which
became a national craze.
Paintings also depicted Dutch shipping
The Dutch traded in areas all over the world, including Java, Manhattan (New York), South America and South Africa
The Dutch became the Bankers of Europe. The Bank of Amsterdam became the
clearing house of coinage.
Debased coinage was conformed
or destroyed; some was re-minted with the Dutch seal
The Dutch greatly contributed to the Capitalist explosion that
began in Northern Europe.
Businessmen became active in affairs of the Dutch cities.
They were called Burghers.
The ruling house remained the House of Orange—descendants of William the Silent, who had led the
wars of independence
William II had died in 1650. Between 1650 and 1672, a
stadholder (ruler) had not been chosen.
But a young prince, also named William, was growing up.
He would far exceed expectatio
ns.
Our objectives were:
• What were the economic, artistic, and social strengths of the Dutch Republic?
• Identify the unique artistic characteristics of Dutch painting during the 17th century.
• What event drew the Northern Provinces closer together (hint: it started in the 1500s)
