The rebellion staged by the United Provinces against Spanish dominion, and the subsequent independence won after the Thirty Years’ War, led to an epoch later known as the Dutch Golden Age. This period in Dutch history was characterized by significant advances in technology, expansion of colonialism and trans-national commerce, and a new form of national consciousness that put the Netherlands at the forefront of the global stage. Naturally, all of these advances were paralleled by the magnificent art produced during the era, which explicitly and implicitly told the story of the rising nation and its prosperity. Jacob van Ruisdael’s Windmill at Wijk bij Duurstede , Willem Kalf’s Still Life with a Late Ming Ginger Jar, and Rembrandt’s The Conspiracy …show more content…
The invention of the windmill played an important role in the Dutch Golden Age, as it provided a virtually free source of energy to process grains, wood, and other necessities to sustain a civilization and help it prosper. The use of wind power to power the Dutch nation played an important role in the countries identity and pride, as the mastering of the elements was seen as both a testament of Dutch ingenuity and a manifestation of God blessing it. The towering impression given by the windmill in Windmill at Wijk bij Duurstede is an important example of the central relationship this piece of technology had to Dutch consciousness, as much of the Netherland’s industrial advances (such as constructing large ships in relatively short time periods, due to sawmills) that marked its Golden Age were thanks to having control over wind power (Westerman). The use of gathering dark clouds clashing with the sun (emphasized by the painter’s use of light) and reflecting starkly off the windmill can be seen as an expression of the religious meaning this technology was often culturally related to. The subtleness and low viewpoint of the painting may be allusions to Protestantism- the new religion of the Netherlands-which believed understanding of the human relationship with God was individually contemplative. The relative open-endedness of this painting accept central tenets (the majestic Dutch power of the windmill), but leave the hinted theological elements up for
This is a project about the U.S.A. we have to do this for the subject history. We have to answer a main Question. As main question I chose; what was the influence by the Dutch on the New Netherlands? I chose this question because I thought this would be an interesting thing about the history of the New Netherlands. I’m going to use sub questions to answer the main question. The three sub questions are about the drive for the Dutch to look for new colonies, what did the Dutch get from the New Netherlands and what did they bring to the New Netherlands and what was the influence of the colony on the hinterland. For my research on the sub questions I had to use the internet. This three question will be worked out beneath
The works of Van Eyck and Memlinc as they both share the intention of the Flemish school, in particular in devotional paintings. They differ in innovation of other secular fields such as technique and portraiture. While this essay has not been able to focus in detail in all areas of the two artists work - such as narrative religious paintings and the authorship and signing of artworks - it aimed to focus on the polarisations of both artists; where they branched away from the Flemish school, or embraced its traditions, intending to show the overarching innovations of the Northern Renaissance.
The Gilded Age was the last three decades of the nineteenth century, when America’s industrial economy exploded generating opportunities for individuals but also left many workers struggling for survival. With the many immigrants, skilled and unskilled, coming to America the labor system is becoming flooded with new employees. During this period, the immigrants, including the Italians, were unskilled and the skilled workers were usually American-born. There was also a divide in the workers and the robber barons. Robber barons were American capitalist who acquired great fortunes in the last nineteenth century, usually ruthlessly. There was much turmoil throughout the business and labor community. Two major organizations, the Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor, helped represent the workers in this time of chaos. The Knights of Labor, founded in 1869, were representing both skilled and unskilled workers. They were quite popular with a large boost in membership becoming the biggest union in 1885. They sought for equal pay and equal work. All were welcomed to the Knights of Labor; there was no discrimination on race, gender, or sex. They called for an eight-hour day in order to reduce fatigue and for safety issues. The Knights of Labor Declaration of Principles states their purpose is to “make industrial and moral worth, not wealth” (Reading 9, p. 1). This means the moral worth is to what they could contribute to society rather than monetary gains. They were working towards this improvement of the common mans life to advance in civilization and create new ideas for society. They also called upon the employer to treat the employee with respect and fairness so they can contribute to not only their company but to Amer...
The content of this painting represents a Christian worldview because of all the symbolism inside the piece. The most predominant image in this painting is the light house, which is also the focal point of the piece. The viewers eyes are first drawn t the clouds in the top right corner of the painter before following the ocean waves to the shore that lead to the light house. A light house has always been a symbol of guidance as it is a beacon that guides sailors safely back to shore. Kinkade uses the light house in this painting to symbolize the love of God. The light house is shining brightly in his picture even though it’s not dark yet. In the same way God will always be a light to those to wish to follow Him. God will always lead us back to him and be a guide for our live. He will make sure that we always survive temptations. As the light house guides the ships out of the storm, God will always guide his people to the promise land.
The Gilded Age gets its name from a book by Mark Twain called The Gilded Age: a Tale of Today. It was written in 1873, and unfortunately was not that successful. While the Gilded Age conjures up visions of ostentatious displays of wealth and decorative parties, the over all topic was politics. The book gives an extremely negative assessment of the state of American democracy at that time. Which does not come as a huge surprise coming from Twain, who famously said "It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.” So when faced with sweeping changes in the American economy after the Civil War, the American political system both nationally and locally dealt with these problems in the best way possible, by inevitably and incredibly becoming corrupt.
In the early 16th century the Netherlands experienced what was called “tulip mania” this was the beginning of the nations love for flora and foliage (Taylor 13). The result of this impressive flower invasion was a society that took a historical turn from which the results still remain today. Flower merchants, botanists and floral still life artists, were occupations that were an accurate reflection of the Netherlands demands (Brown). An interesting example of a life that was effected by, and devoted to the archiving of the flower craze was Rachel Ruysch (1664-1750) the 17th century Dutch flower painter. Rachel Ruyschs’ career straddled the 17th and 18th century, and her stunningly accurate floral pieces reflect the maturing, yet evolving art of floral still life painting (“Rachel Ruysch: Bibliography”). Ruyschs’ Still Life with Flowers on a Marble Tabletop (1716) is an excellent example of a painting that appropriately represents the genre of art that was created solely through specific societal events.
One of the most noteworthy northern European writers of the Renaissance was the Flemish painter, Jan van Eyck. Although there are few records about his early life and rise to prominence, the Van Eyck family was well regarded within the Burgundian Netherlands which allowed historians to surmise that he was born in the 1380s. After years of travelling through various northern courts and gaining esteem, Jan van Eyck painted perhaps his most famous work, The Arnolfini Double Portrait. This work has been the subject of a great deal of critical analysis as a piece of Renaissance art. Some historians have found that the work is demonstrative of artistic and social ideals that were both ahead of its time and touted the line of controversy. However, taking into account the painting’s patronage, symbolism, artistic style, and function, it becomes clear that The Arnolfini Double Portrait is an exemplar of the Renaissance era artistic conventions and is not as difficult to parse as some critics would believe. In order to discuss the painting in its entirety, it is necessary to explore the context of the painting’s creation.
Rogier van der Weyden, one of the three great Early Flemish artists and the most influential Northern painter of the 15th century, seems to be rejecting the detailed realism that is characteristic of the Northern Renaissance and is demonstrated in some of his own works. What are the consequences of Rogier van der Weyden’s choice to include a continuous grey wall for the meaning of the work as a whole? To answer this question it will be important to consider the sparse nature of the setting in its entirety, the color used throughout the composition, and the detailed portrayal of biblical characters. This analysis is important to consider because it can help interpret what caused Rogier van der Weyden to stray from the common style of the Northern
The Gilded Age is marked as the thirty-five years between the end of the Civil War and the end of the nineteenth century. During this period of time, the economy grew at an astonishing rate, producing enormous amounts of wealth. This was also a time where the majority of the population was struggling to get by, and was classified as poor workers, while the industrial and financial aristocracy lives in beautiful homes and lived their lives with opulent amusement. Life was very different between different groups such as the rich and the poor, and even the men and the women. I definitely would not fit into the urban society of the Gilded Age because everything had to do with the men being in power, racism, and men’s constant control over politics, which would make being a women in this period of time very difficult.
Timothy Brook’s remarkable book blends art with the emergence of global trade in the seventeenth century. Using six paintings of Dutch Golden Age painter Johannes Vermeer, the writer examines the impact of changing international relations, particularly in the realm of trade, on art. The title chapter of the book discusses the painting called Officer and the Laughing Girl and analyzes how the painting opens up window to the global trade connections of the seventeenth century. According to the author, a painting is different from a photograph in that the former is a deliberate attempt of the painter to not
Mark Twain collaborated with Charles Dudley Warner on The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today. Published in 1973, as Twain’s earliest work of extended fiction, The Gilded Age gives a name to the period of opulence and corruption at the end of the 19th century. Portraying the superficial luxury of Washington and high society, the authors describe “The general laxity of the time, and the absence of a sense of duty toward any part of the community but the individual himself” (Twain 203). Twain’s The Gilded Age, like Wharton’s The Age of Innocence focuses on high society. Yet, the imperfections in the gilding betray the dramatic change of the period. Forces of corporatization, unionization, immigration, urbanization, populism, post-reconstruction racism and machine politics were among the drastic changes in American lifestyle churning beneath the brittle “gilded” surface.
The French 1884 oil on canvas painting The Song of the Lark by Jules-Adolphe Breton draws grasps a viewer’s attention. It draws an observer in by its intense but subtle subject matter and by the luminous sun in the background. Without the incandescent sun and the thoughtful look of the young woman, it would just be a bland earth-toned farm landscape. However, Breton understood what to add to his painting in order to give it drama that would instantly grab an onlooker’s interest.
These include the history of windmills and their role concerning the survival in the immense plains that range from east of the Rocky Mountains to the Mississippi River. The rise of the economic condition of those living around the wind farms along with the surge of investments from energy companies. Finally, the promising data relating to the amount of energy produced, and the consequences they will have on the environment. In the later and longer part of the article, the possible negative results or wind farms are brought up. Primarily, the points against wind farms have to do with the conservation of wildlife. This is separated into two sections, the first addresses the dangers wind turbines present to birds, the other on the dangers presented to bats.
“Philosophers, writers, and artists expressed disillusionment with the rational-humanist tradition of the Enlightenment. They no longer shared the Enlightenment's confidence in either reason's capabilities or human goodness.” (Perry, pg. 457) It is interesting to follow art through history and see how the general mood of society changed with various aspects of history, and how events have a strong connection to the art of the corresponding time.
Cullen, Alison. “From the Trivial to the True: The French Revolution and Painting”. Kirsch Computing ECFS. Web. 5th May 2013.