Dutch-Masters of the 17th Century
The great age of Dutch painting.

Historical, religious or mythological works, had little appeal for the  17th Century Dutch. Holland being a Protestant country, artists gave us no great Madonna pictures.

Although they painted loving Dutch mothers and babies, most works were expressed in landscapes, townscapes, marine paintings, portraits, genre scenes, and still lifes.

Their subjects are quite different from those of the painters of Italy, France, and Spain. In looking at Dutch pictures one should banish all thought of Greek ideals and Classic gods, they were not painted by the Dutchmen.  They were always a matter of fact. Adversity made them so.  In the early days they were strugglers for existence, and had no time for poetic ideals and picture fancies.

They fought the sea for a foothold on the earth, and to this day are keeping back that sea with their dikes. They fought Spain for political freedom and won it; they fought Rome for religious freedom, and won it. With the establishment of their independence and the growth of their commerce came wealth, and with wealth came art; but it was not pretty Venuses and Apollos lounging on Olympian clouds.  On the contrary, it told about the Dutch themselves: it was an art of realities, of actual scenes, of a living people.

The Dutch were the great handlers of the brush. As technicians, they have never been excelled.  Their skill was not merely wonderful for Holland in the 17th century, but it is wonderful for today, and for all time.

Despite the quality and abundance of art produced in the Netherlands in the 17th century, there was a decline in Dutch art during the 18th and 19th centuries.

We recognize six of the 17th Century Dutch Masters

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn
(1606-1669)

Rembrandt, stands above other Dutch artists through his range
of subject matter, imagination, versatility, and depth of expression.
In his religious works and portraits he showed spiritual reverence for human life which place him among the greatest artists.

Through his large studio, he exercised an immense influence on Dutch painting.

Frans Hals
(1580-1666)
In portrait painting, two artists tower above their contemporaries: Frans Hals, who captured fleeting movement and expression, and Rembrandt.

It was Hals who marked the coming of age of 17th-century Dutch painting as a great national school.

Jan Steen
(1626-1679)

Genre painting, represented all levels of society engaged in almost every conceivable activity.

Jan Steen, is one who stands out,with his energy and good humor.

Paulus Potter
(1625-1654) 
Potter specialized in animal paintings.

His horses and cattle are so individual that it is said of Potter that he painted portraits of them.

Meindert Hobbema
(1638-1709)
 
Dutch landscape painting and the immense influence it exerted on later art was advanced by the work of Meindert Hobbema, who showed a reverence for nature.

Pieter de Hooch
(1629-1684)

With his tender, but unsentimental
works, he sums up the confident
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