3. Calvinist Amsterdam: City of Contradictions
What forces were at work in Amsterdam in the seventeenth
century?
• Gaining Independence from Spain — From Spain, Philip II tried
unsuccessfully to impose Catholic rule on the north, but the Calvinists
roundly rejected this move. The United Provinces of the Netherlands
was formed after the “Spanish Fury.” The northern provinces felt that
Antwerp was too closely associated with the Spanish, Amsterdam
closed the port of Antwerp thus halting commerce. What Antwerp has
been to the sixteenth century, Amsterdam would be to the seventeenth.
• Tulipomania — Amsterdam’s commercial success and the wealth at
its disposal is captured in the great tulip “madness” of 1634-1637.
During those years, frenzied speculation in tulip bulbs nearly ruined the
entire Dutch economy.
4. • The Dutch Reformed Church: Strict Doctrine and
Whitewashed Spaces — The excesses of Dutch society so evident
in the tulip craze were strongly countered by the conservatism of the
Calvinist Dutch Reformed Church, which actively opposed speculation
in the tulip market. The doctrinal rigidity of the Reformed Church is
reflected in the austerity of its churches.
• Discussion Question: What does the Tulipomania episode suggest
about the mindset and values of a commercially-oriented society?
8. The Science of Observation
How did the developments in philosophy and science underpin the
Dutch attention to visual detail?
• Francis Bacon and the Empirical Method — One of the most
fundamental principles guiding the new science was the idea that,
through the direct and careful observation of natural phenomena, one
could draw general conclusions from particular examples. The leading
advocate of the empirical method was Francis Bacon.
• Rene Descartes and the Deductive Method — Descartes
proceeds to his conclusions through deductive reasoning. He began
with clearly established general principles and moved from those to the
establishment of particular truths. At the heart of Descartes’ thinking is
an absolute distinction between mind and matter, a system of
oppositions that has come to be known as Cartesian dualism.
9. • Johannes Kepler, Galileo Galilei, and the Telescope — Kepler
made detailed records of the movements of the planets, substantiating
Copernicus’s theory that the planets orbited the sun, not the Earth.
Galileo improved the design and magnification of the telescope. He
proposed that all objects, regardless of shape, size, or density, fall at
the same rate of acceleration.
• Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Robert Hooke, and the
Microscope — At the end of the sixteenth century, it was discovered
that if one looked through several lenses in a single tube, nearby
objects appeared greatly magnified. This discovery led to the
compound microscope. Van Leeuwenhoek was able to grain a lens
that magnified over 200 times. He was inspired by Robert Hooke.
• Discussion Question: What are the most important scientific discoveries
during the seventeenth century in the north?
15. Dutch Vernacular Painting: Art of the Familiar
How does the vernacular manifest itself in Dutch painting?
• Still Lifes — Paintings dedicated to the representation of common
household objects and food. Their subject is also the foolishness of
believing in an apparent ease of life.
• Landscapes — Landscape paintings reflect national pride in the
country’s reclamation of its land from the sea.
• Genre Scenes — Paintings that depict events from everyday life are
typical of genre scenes.
• Johannes Vermeer and the Domestic Scene — Vermeer was a
keen observer of his world. His paintings illuminate—and celebrate–
the material reality of Dutch life. His paintings of interiors are a
celebration of Dutch domestic culture.
16. • The Group Portrait — A large canvas commissioned by a civic
institution to document or commemorate its membership at a particular
time.
• Rembrandt van Rijn and the Drama of Light — In the hand of
Rembrandt, the group portrait took on an even more heightened sense
of drama such as The Night Watch (Captain Frans Banning Cocq
Mustering His Company). Of all the artists of his era, Rembrandt was
the most interested in self-portraiture; over 60 survive.
• Discussion Question: What are the important characteristics of
seventeenth century northern painting?
26. Studio Technique Video: Intaglio: Etching with Acid and Drypoint Etching
MyArtsLabChapter 22 – The Secular Baroque in the North: the Art of Observation
27. Closer Look: Rembrandt,
The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp
MyArtsLabChapter 22 – The Secular Baroque in the North: the Art of Observation
30. The Baroque Keyboard
What are the characteristic features of Baroque keyboard music?
• Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck’s Fantasies for the Organ —
Sweelinck was the official organist of Amsterdam. He was famous for
his preludes and postludes to church services, which were virtuoso
improvisations. He was especially noted for his fantasias, keyboard
works that lack a conventional structure but follow the composer’s free
flight of fantasy.
• The North German School: Johann Sebastian Bach — Bach
sought to convey the devotional piety of the Protestant tradition through
his religious music. He wrote most of the music for the Lutheran church
services in Leipzig and he also composed a cantata, a multimovement
musical commentary sung by soloists and chorus usually accompanied
by the organ. Bach wrote instrumental music for almost all occasions,
including funerals, marriages, and civic celebrations. The six
Brandenburg concertos are among his most famous instrumental
works.
31. • Discussion Question: How do the composers of this era reflect the
vision of the church and at the same time become innovators of a new
and original music?
34. Closer Look: The Baroque Organ
MyArtsLabChapter 22 – The Secular Baroque in the North: the Art of Observation
35. Closer Look: Bach’s World
MyArtsLabChapter 22 – The Secular Baroque in the North: the Art of Observation
36. Active Listening Guide: Bach: Cantata No.
78 "Jesu, der du meine Seele", I
MyArtsLabChapter 22 – The Secular Baroque in the North: the Art of Observation
37. Active Listening Guide: Bach: Brandenburg
Concerto No. 2, III
MyArtsLabChapter 22 – The Secular Baroque in the North: the Art of Observation
38. Active Listening Guide: Bach: Fugue No. 5
in D major from Book 2 of The Well
Tempered Klavier
MyArtsLabChapter 22 – The Secular Baroque in the North: the Art of Observation
Jan Vermeer. The Geographer . 1668-69. 20-1/8" × 18-1/4”.
Jan Christaensz-Micker. View of Amsterdam . ca. 1630. 39-3/8" × 54”.
What forces were at work in Amsterdam in the seventeenth century? As Holland asserted its independence from Spain at the end of the sixteenth century, Amsterdam replaced Antwerp as the center of culture and commerce in the north. Its commercial ascendancy was underscored by the wealth at the city’s disposal during the tulipomania, or tulip madness, of 1634 to 1637. How were the forces that drove the tulip craze balanced by the conservatism of the Dutch Reformed Church?
Map: The United Provinces of the Netherlands in 1648.
Illustration from the Tulip Book of P. Cos . 1637.
Pieter Saenredam. Interior of the Choir of Saint Bavo’s Church at Haarlem . 1660. 22-7/8" × 21-5/8”.
How did developments in philosophy and science underpin the Dutch attention to visual detail? Developments in philosophy and science challenged the authority of both the Catholic and Protestant churches. In England, Francis Bacon developed the empirical method, a process of inductive reasoning. Bacon’s writings circulated widely in Holland, where, for over 20 years, René Descartes developed a separate brand of philosophy based on deductive reasoning. What is the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning? Why would the Church— Catholic and Protestant alike—feel threatened by the philosophies of both Francis Bacon and René Descartes? Scientific discoveries supported the philosophies of Bacon and Descartes. Johannes Kepler described functional properties of the human eye, the optical properties of lenses, and the movement of the planets in the solar system. His friend Galileo Galilei perfected the telescope, described the forces of gravity, and theorized the speed of light. How would the Church react to Galileo’s discoveries? Meanwhile, in Holland, the microscope had been developed, and soon Antoni van Leeuwenhoek began to describe, for the first time, “little animals”—bacteria and protozoa—sperm cells, blood cells, and many other organisms.
Frans Hals. Portrait of René Descartes . 1649. 7-3/8" × 5-1/2”.
Illustration from René Descartes, Optics (La Dioptrique) , Leiden, 1637: The theory of the retinal image as described by Johannes Kepler. 1637.
An artist drawing in a large camera obscura.
Illustration from Robert Hooke's Micrographia, London, 1665: A flea . 1665.
Illustration from Robert Hooke's Micrographia, London, 1665: A slice of cork . 1665.
How does the vernacular manifest itself in Dutch painting? Still lifes, landscapes, and genre paintings, including many like Vermeer’s that depict domestic life, were especially popular. Most popular of all, however, were portrait paintings, including large-scale group portraits, such as those by Hals and Rembrandt, commemorating the achievements of community leaders, civic militia, and the like. How does the Dutch taste in painting reflect Francis Bacon’s philosophical principles? How do you account for the popularity of portraiture in Dutch society? How might you connect it to Descartes’s sense of self? Rembrandt van Rijn’s paintings are especially notable for their dramatic liveliness. How does his mastery of light and dark contribute to this?
Johannes Goedaert. Flowers in a Wan-li Vase with Blue-Tit . ca. 1660.
Jacob van Ruisdael. View of Haarlem from the Dunes at Overveen . ca. 1670. 22" × 24-3/8”.
Jan Steen. The Dancing Couple . 1663. 40-3/8" × 56-1/2”.
Judith Leyster. The Proposition . 1631. 11-7/8" × 9-1/2”.
Jan Vermeer. Woman with a Pearl Necklace . ca. 1664. 22-5/32" × 17-3/4”.
Jan Vermeer. The Little Street . 1657-58. 21-1/16" × 17-1/8”.
Frans Hals. Banquet of the Officers of the St. George Civic Guard . 1616. 68-7/8" × 137-1/2”.
Rembrandt van Rijn. Captain Frans Banning Cocq Mustering His Company (The Night Watch) . 1642. 11’ 11" × 14’ 4”.
Rembrandt van Rijn. Christ Preaching (the “Hundred-Guilder Print”) . ca. 1648-50. 11" × 15-1/2”.
Rembrandt van Rijn. Closer Look: The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp . 1632. 5’ 3-3/4" × 7’ 1-1/4”.
Rembrandt van Rijn. Slaughtered Ox . 1655. 37" × 27-1/8”.
What are the characteristic features of Baroque keyboard music? Keyboard music was a prominent feature of Dutch domestic life. What role did it play in the home? In Amsterdam, Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, organist for 40 years at the Oude Kerk (Old Church), developed the distinctly Baroque brand of keyboard work known as the fantasy, or alternately, the prelude. These works were widely imitated across Europe, reaching a height in the composition of Johann Sebastian Bach in Germany. How would you characterize these keyboard works? Bach’s many compositions reflect one of the distinct features of Baroque music, the drive to create new and original compositions at a sometimes unheard-of pace. What did his Well-Tempered Clavier contribute to secular musical history?
Rembrandt van Rijn. Self-portrait . Signed and dated on the arm of the chair at right: Rembrandt/f .1658. 1658. 52-5/8" × 40-7/8”.
Jan Vermeer. Lady at the Virginal with a Gentleman (The Music Lesson) . ca. 1662-64. 29-1/8" × 25-3/8”.
Dirk Stoop. Clavichord with painted images. ca. 1660-80. 4" × 32-1/2" × 10-3/4”.
Rembrandt van Rijn. Continuity & Change: Descent from the Cross . ca. 1633. 35-1/4" × 25-5/8”.
Peter Paul Rubens. Continuity & Change: Descent from the Cross . 1611-14. 13’ 9-5/8" × 10’ 2”.
