RP268 The Golden Age of Dutch Paintings

 RP268 The Golden Age of Dutch Paintings

A small country in northern Europe suddenly burst into artistic bloom in the 17th century. Between about 1584 and 1702, the Netherlands produced more than five million paintings and nurtured the careers of some of the most important artists in the West.

After revolting against Spanish rule in 1568, the Netherlands quickly became a major trading power in the world. Citizens grew wealthy and cities filled. The newly wealthy, newly liberated Dutch realized that paintings could serve two purposes: they could help show their Dutch values and way of life and also become valuable merchandise.(To allow for easy shipping, many Dutch paintings of this era aren't very big.) Merchants became patrons of artists and paintings became ways to show power and status.

Dutch Golden Age paintings differ from their counterparts in the rest of Europe in several ways. First, their subject matter was slightly different. The Dutch church frowned upon embellishment, so relatively few Dutch paintings deal with religious themes. Instead, they show historical scenes, still lives, landscapes, and portraits. Genre paintings, perhaps the most significant development of this age, showed home and tavern life and were intended to convey humor, sensuality, or a moral message.

Dutch painters of the era generally took apprenticeships in workshops where they were trained by a master. Different schools of the period have different styles, but paintings of this era share some general similarities. In particular, the use of Chiaroscuro (contrasting light and dark), realism and realistic detail, and narrative directness are hallmarks of the age. Its portraits are also distinct for their humbleness. The Dutch church did not promote pride, and even the richest subjects didn't show off their possessions as other European subjects did.

The Golden Age of Dutch paintings gave us an astonishing number of masterpieces, such as Gypsy Girl by Frans Hals, The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer, The Stoning of Saint Stephen by Rembrandt and Nicolaes Maes' Old Woman Dozing. Hundreds of years have passed, and we still admire and study these products of a Golden Age.