Everyday life celebrated by the Flemish and Dutch painters of the 17th and 18th centuries

Everyday life celebrated by the Flemish and Dutch painters of the 17th and 18th centuries

The art which flourished in the Netherlands during the 17^th century reflected changes in society: the development of maritime trade with Asia led to the creation of a merchant class for whom having their portrait painted provided an opportunity to flaunt their prosperity and social success. Other types of painting more representative of the lifestyles of this emerging bourgeoisie, such as market scenes and people skating or hunting, became extremely popular. The artists liked to paint themselves in their studios, thus endowing their profession with a proper status. Some specialised in portraying figures; others preferred to depict nature and sometimes, as in the case of Sébastien Vrancx (1573-1647) and Abraham Govaerts (1589-1626), worked together to create landscapes. Seascapes, still lifes and rural landscapes were sold at art fairs and markets and grew in popularity.

The Dutch East India Company, which was founded in 1602, became a powerful force, enabling the Netherlands to assert its influence across Asia and import large amounts of goods for distribution in Europe. These included Chinese ceramics which were highly sought after by the public, prompting the setting up of factories in the Netherlands, particularly in Delft. In France, new faïence (earthenware) factories were built in the second half of the 17^th century at the behest of Louis XIV's minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619-1683). They sought to create pieces characterised by Oriental exoticism and to reproduce hard-paste porcelain. So the 18^th century was a boom period for the tableware industry.