Within the vastly changing political landscape that is 17th century Europe, between countries choosing (or not) to convert to Protestantism, there exists the Netherlands, a country that, as it stood, does not belong to either group: While northern Holland went for a militaristic form of Catholicism, the south chose Protestantism. This ended up creating a very interesting environment for the making of artworks in this era.
No one is more suitable for the explanation of this time than Peter Paul Rubens, who, while he himself is undecided in his religion, had gone through multiple conversion of beliefs (along with his family). Being especially well-versed in language and well-educated, Rubens brought into the art scene a new and fresh perspective, as he also worked as a diplomat. A work that best represents his ability to adapt to the needs of his customers (belief-wise) is The Elevation of the Cross. With the portrayed instantaneous scene of God’s cross being raised, the clear distinction between those who are on Jesus’ side and those who are not, the distinctively Caravaggisti manner of using the contrast between light and dark as tool of expression, we see here a snapshot of both the moment depicted as the intention of the artist, as well as an unintentional snapshot of the time it was created in, and the malleable, unstable nature of the liturgical system. We could also see the influence that Rubens had on his surrounding artists, especially those who were chosen to be his assistants. One of these people was Anthony van Dyke, an artist who would go on to create various portraits for the aristocrats of the time.
Another important figure of this period is Rembrant van Rjin, the creator of The Night Watch and various printings, including The Hundred Guilders. By innovating and trying new techniques of printworks, combining different tools to create a diverse range of texture, he still stood out amongst the wide, saturated stream of ‘Little Masters‘ with their specific specializations.