Activity 1

During the seventeenth century the Dutch Republic was one of the leading states of Europe. Governed by a commercial oligarchy, the Republic built a maritime and trade empire that was unrivaled until the 1660s when England began to assert its own commercial power. Like the monarchs and aristocrats of other European states, Dutch merchants, bankers, and wealthy artisans patronized the arts to enhance their status. As individuals they commissioned portraits, and as members of various civic institutions they commissioned monumental works to glorify their communities. Consider these notable examples of each type of painting by Rembrandt Van Rijn: Portrait of a Man (1632) and The Night Watch (1642). In addition to such works, Dutch art patrons also commissioned scenes of everyday life and objects. For example, examine Young Man and Woman in an Inn (1623) by Frans Hals; The Milkmaid (1660s) by Johannes Vermeer; The Dissolute Household (c. 1665) by Jan Steen; Vase of Flowers (c. 1660), by Jan Davidsz. de Heem; and Still Life with Fruit, Fish, and a Nest (c. 1675), by Abraham Mignon. What do you find distinctive about these paintings? How do they resemble and differ from the Renaissance works you encountered previously? Consider the fact that these paintings were produced mainly for wealthy middle-class patrons. Why do you think people of that class would be so interested in such depictions of everyday life and common objects?

Activity 2

During the early seventeenth century, Louis XIII and his chief minister, cardinal Richelieu, laid the foundations of absolute monarchy in France. Read Richelieu's Political Testament (1624), Edict of 1626 ordering the demolition of the feudal castles in France, and Letters patent establishing the French Academy in 1635. How do these documents reveal about the development of royal absolutism in France? What principles does Richelieu articulate in his testament? Why does the state want to destroy castles throughout France? How does the French Academy represent an extension of royal authority and power? As you know, French absolutism reached its height under Louis XIV, the "sun king." Read the following excerpt from On Social Order and Absolute Monarchy, by Jean Domat. What theoretical foundation does Domat give to absolutism as practiced y Louis XIV? From where does the monarch's originate? What are the rights, powers, and duties of the sovereign? What are the duties of sovereign's subjects?