The Art Of The Dutch Republic Essay — страница 4

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hatred of popery due to its absolutist connotations. The fact that the Spanish Inquisition was thwarting the fundamental human rights which the patriotic Netherlanders sought to preserve emphasises the above view that the revolt was a war of liberties, and the resulting culture a liberal one in terms of religion. The Netherlands became an intellectual hothouse of new ideas and those of philosophers such as Spinoza and Descartes circulated. It seemed that with the breakdown of central authority, controlled by monarchy and to an extent clergy, came the reliance on the self. With this attitude came a freedom to question previous beliefs which still shaped most other European societies. The war of liberties had engendered a liberal conscience for all, and the questioning of

fundamental religious relationships led naturally to similar political and social questionings. This accounts for the diversity of the revolt, its resulting diverse republic, and the diversion in art away from religious iconography and towards a portrayal of the self. Within this portrayal of the self, the great Dutch paradox seemed to form, for the liberty had become self-destructive, as their economic and social creation became perfunctory, and formed an entrapment which was contradictory to all their moral values. This ‘embarrassment of riches’ was paradigmatic of the Dutch, who morally knew not what they wanted, yet wanted what they knew not of. It can be seen that Dutch Art was the forum of expression by which many of the ideological, social and economic characteristics

possessed by the republic were expressed, but also that in some respects the revolt did not always influence the republic, as many characteristics of the republic, such as its geographically advantageous features for trading and the strong spirit of libertinism within its culture existed before the revolt. It is also important to note that generalisations have been made throughout this essay, focusing primarily on only two of the northern provinces, Holland and Zeeland. It has been shown by historical studies how the prosperity experienced by these provinces was negated by the poverty in others, and thus – perhaps even due to the diversity of the revolt – the Dutch culture was one of multiplicity. Humanist philosophy seemed to lie at the heart of the republic and its art and

therefore the Dutch merchant would see his civic responsibility as precedent to any economic one, and it is perhaps for this reason that it is only possible to speculate about the true meaning of the golden age as the extent of its diversity makes it a complex historical discussion. What can be concluded about the art is that the ‘lens of moral sensibility’ – in the words of Simon Schama – seemed to influence the gaze of most artists and for this reason, the view of throughout this essay is focusing on the ‘document of beliefs’ within Dutch Art as opposed to the view of more socio-economic historians such as Michael North. It was the moralising heart of the republic which ensured its economic success, its tolerant attitude towards religion, the rise of the bourgeoisie

and, paradoxically, the republic’s eventual downfall. Bibliography Art and commerce in the Dutch Golden Age – Michael North The Embarrassment of Riches – Simon Schama Dutch Painting – Christopher Brown