8. The 17 th Century : The “Dutch” Century Early in the 17 th Century, the Dutch had some conflict between opposing religious groups, however, by the end of the century religions including Catholics, Protestants and Jewish lived peacefully throughout the country. The Dutch used religion and everyday life as common themes in art including this painting by Rembrandt Portrait of an Old Man in Red.
15. Prior to the Dutch Golden Age, the Portuguese monopolized the trade routes of the world. The first of the Dutch to reach the Spice Islands was a group led by Cornelis de Houtman. There, they found West Java, an island known for its pepper. While the Dutch looked to create a positive trade relationship, the Indonesians and Portuguese disliked the Dutch infringement. The Dutch then sailed to northern Java, yet half the crew was killed in a Japanese attack. After all this, Houtman was able to sail back to make a positive profit.
16. During the Golden Age of the Dutch, the East India Company had a positive relationship with the Chinese and their famous porcelain pieces in the early 1600s. At the time, the highest class could only afford these imports, but when the trade was interrupted by the death of a Chinese emperor, Dutch potters began to create their own porcelain. In the town of Delft, the famous Delftware flourished and continues to be a staple of the Dutch beautiful exports.
17. Anton van Leeuwenhoek: The Microscope & the Discovery of Micro-Organisms Influenced Galileo’s findings
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20. (detail) Anatomy Lecture of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp – Rembrandt, 1632 Because of the lack of religious influence in education, the Dutch excelled in studying the human body .