This dominant element of Dutch art developed into a number of subtypes of which floral still life, presented with scientific accuracy, was the most popular.ĭutch Golden Age painting was informed by a number of artistic influences, including the landscapes and village scenes of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, the work of the anonymous Master of The Small Landscapes, and the Northern European Renaissance artists (such as Jan van Eyck, Albrecht Dürer, and Hieronymus Bosch and Utrecht Caravaggisti). The stilleven, or still life also surged in popularity, utilized to imaginatively express both objects of beauty and the philosophical climate of the times through carefully composed arrangements and groupings. Many of these scenes were based on central 'heroic' elements indigenous to the area such as a tree, windmill, or cloud-filled sky.

Landscape painting exploded during the Dutch Golden Age as well, bringing with it emphasis upon the unique characteristics of Dutch landscape features, villages, and rural life connected with rising esteem for Dutch values. As a result, some scholars have referred to the Dutch Golden Age painting as Dutch Realism. Subjects ranging from lavish breakfast tables to group portraits to moments of merriment and little trifles helped establish an artistic document of the period. Genre painting experienced a magnificent evolution, with multiple creative sub-genres birthing a distinct look at the contemporary lifestyle, trends, and interests of the Dutch people of the time. Painting flowered as artists focused on everyday scenes of ordinary life, expressed through a growing cadre of genre works, all indicative of the thriving creative period. An influx of trade boosted commerce, leading to the rise of a large middle and merchant class in the market for the proliferation of art that had cropped up in response to the burgeoning celebration of Dutch life and identity.

During the 17th century, driven by new freedom from Spanish Catholic rule, the Dutch Republic experienced a surge in economic and cultural prominence. The Dutch Golden Age is one of the finest western examples of independence breeding cultural pride.

Dutch portrait painter