The Dutch Golden Age began when the northern provinces of the Netherlands gained independence from Spanish rule. Spanning the 17th century, it was a period of unparalleled Dutch dominance in global trade. With a prosperous and largely literate merchant class, demand for art exploded exponentially.

Unlike the rest of Baroque Europe, which favored religious and royal grandeur, Dutch art of this period focused on secular subjects. Rembrandt, the definitive master of the period, is revered for the realistic detail and psychological depth of his portraits. Jan Vermeer is celebrated for the "pearly" light and scientific precision in his intimate domestic scenes. Frans Hals prioritized immediacy, animation, and visible brushwork, capturing a fleeting moment of laughter, conversation, or a sideways glance in his colorful portraits.

And there were many others. Clara Peeters, considered a founder of the still-life genre, depicted the luxury food items savored by the wealthy with hyper-realistic detail. Jan Steen painted satirical scenes advocating for moderation and warning against the dangers of wealth. Jacob van Ruisdael enlivened landscape art through dramatic, emotive scenes of nature. Judith Leyster was the first woman to be admitted as a “master artist” to the Haarlem Guild of St. Luke in 1633—a rare status allowing her to run her own studio, take on male apprentices, and sell her lively genre scenes professionally.

In this course, which will be a combination of lecture and group discussion, we will learn about this fascinating period in history and analyze how the great Dutch artists depicted the society that was rapidly redefining itself while in the throes of globalization.  Weekly preparation time should be about an hour and a half.