Assignment Using the Dutch paintings below and your historical knowledge of the period, discuss how the paintings reflect the economy and culture of the Netherlands in the seventeenth century. Response The Netherlands was recognized as independent after its victory in the Thirty Years War, which ended in 1648. Also known as the Dutch Republic, the Dutch enjoyed a degree of comfort, and excelled in intellectual, artistic, and commercial parts of society. Following their breakaway from Spain the Dutch also developed their own ways of life, including their scholarly innovations in technology and the sciences. In addition to this, they prospered in economics, trade and culture. New artists emerged and new thoughts about life and religion were shared. The art and paintings of this time reflected the economy and culture of the Netherlands in the seventeenth century. The economy of the Dutch Republic was very commercial based. They owned over 10,000 ships and most of the shipping in Northern Europe. They made settlements to expand on their trading. For example, the Dutch settled in Bordeaux to buy wines. They replaced the Portuguese in India and in the Far East. The Dutch had an exclusive trade with the Japanese and established the Dutch West India Company in 1621. They founded colonies in the New World too. The Bank of Amsterdam was founded in 1609 and became the financial center of Europe, because of its acceptance of all money and safety guarantee. This made loans possible and their minted gold became the international measure of value. The culture of the Dutch Republic could be summarized by advances in art, sciences and writing. Classic poets and dramatists wrote at this time and philosophers wrote about law, nature and human conduct. Technological movements occurred, like the advancement of the microscope, telescope, and the invention of a clock with a pendulum. Others wrote about women, witchcraft and scientific