Art History of the Netherlands - Second half of the 17th century

01/01/2022 - Rijksmuseum

With the end of the Eighty Years’ War, in the second half of the 17th century the wealth accumulated in the first half of the century was increasingly put out on show.

In this episode you’ll see how two groups developed into important patrons and trendsetters for the arts: on the one hand the bourgeois elite – for example with the construction of the new city hall in Amsterdam, an unprecedentedly large building and a tribute to the power of the city – and on the other hand, the court of the stadtholders, the House of Orange.

Wealthy citizens liked to entertain their guests with unusual objects, such as a doll’s house that was a perfect replica of a real canal house. It was in the second half of this century that artists such as Pieter de Hooch and Johannes Vermeer produced their finest work, and Rembrandt painted The Jewish Bride.

The fascination for Chinese porcelain led to the development of its Dutch counterpart, Delftware.

See the Rijksstudio collection with a selection of the art that will be discussed in this episode.

Dolls’ house of Petronella Oortman Amsterdam, c. 1686–1710, oak cabinet, veneered with tortoiseshell and pewter

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The Four Continents Paying Homage to Amsterdam Artus Quellinus I (1609–1668) and workshop, Amsterdam, c. 1655, terracotta

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View of the Golden Bend in the Herengracht Gerrit Adriaensz Berckheyde (1658-1698), oil on panel, 1671-1672

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Cabinet with Inlaid Flower Vases attributed to Jan van Mekeren, various types of wood, c. 1695-1710

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The Milkmaid Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675), oil on canvas, c. 1660

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Flower pyramid attributed to De Metaale Pot (Lambertus van Eenhoorn), Delft, c. 1692–1700, three segments and top made by Tichelaar, Makkum, 2004 tin-glazed earthenware (faience)

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In this episode

Middle Ages: what’s in this and the other episodes?

Host - Frits Scholten, Curator of Sculpture

Renaissance: what’s in this episode?

Host - Ilona van Tuinen, Head of the Print Room

First half of the 17th century: what’s in this episode?

Host - Taco Dibbits, General Director

Second half of the 17th century: what’s in this episode?

Host - Femke Diercks, Head of Decorative Arts

18th century: what’s in this episode?

Host - Reinier Baarsen, Curator of Furniture

19th century: what’s in this episode?

Host - Jenny Reynaerts, Curator of 18th- and 19th-century Paintings

20th century: what’s in this episode?

Host - Ludo van Halem, Curator of 20th-Century Art