| Description |  |
The Flemish remained under Catholic rule in the area of present-day Belgium. In the newly formed Dutch Republic, of which Holland was the most dominant province, a distinctive religious, political, and artistic climate evolved. Because Protestants prohibited the decoration of houses of worship, Dutch painters could not depend on church patronage, so they created pictures for a new market -the broad commercial class of manufacturers and merchants. Prosperous as a result of trade, these entrepreneurs had a taste for fine works of art that reflected their world and their wealth. |
