We spent this class discussing Baroque art in Flanders and Holland. We started off by discussing the religious differences in the Southern Spanish controlled Netherlands (Belgium), which was Catholic, and the Northern Dutch Republic, which was Protestant. We first looked at the work of Peter Paul Rubens, who was heavily influenced by Caravaggio, and spent the majority of his career in Antwerp. The first work of his that we looked at was the Elevation of the Cross from 1611. The painting was done in the old-fashioned style of a triptych. This choice was probably made by the commissioner of the painting to bring viewers back to a time before the Reformation. The painting implements the Baroque theme of taking a snapshot of a scene, evidenced by the straining of those lifting the cross. The contrast between light and dark which draws eyes to the diagonals in the painting, highlights Caravaggio’s influence. We also discussed the concept of group portraits, using Frans Hals’s Banquet of the Officers of the St. George Militia as an example. Hals was able to create a snapshot of a group dinner to create a dynamic group portrait.