

Rembrandt van Rijn was the famous mind behind The Anatomy Lesson of Doctor Nicolaes Tulp(1632) during the Baroque portion of the Renaissance. In the Dutch Republic at the time (currently known as the Netherlands) Rembrandt was widely considered one of the most famous printmakers and painters in European Art and in Dutch history. During the Renaissance Era there was a certain ideology common amongst the population of Europe that the Arts had humanistic values and was important because of that.
The term “Renaissance” is a direct translation to “rebirth” in French. After the barbaric Medieval times the people of Europe wanted things to be as they were before that era. As the Renaissance became more popular amongst Western European countries a new age of art, drama and literature arose. Famous paintings such as Ecstasy of Saint Teresa and The Night Watch were all famous works from this time. As of the 1600’s the Baroque period began which was a point in time where Roman Catholic churches began to tell artists that art should speak to everyone and that it should be able to be interpreted by the illiterate as well as the well-informed.
Following this art began to take on many different “personalities”. Prior to the Baroque period art was very witty and intellectual. Art was to be interpreted by those who had more knowledge than others. During the Baroque period art was made more to appeal to the senses of a person; intelligent or not. The paintings had “exaggerated emotions” and “dramatic lighting” to make the art not boring but simple enough to understand.
However, art was not the same throughout the continent. In the Dutch Republic art was much more “real” in the sense it did not rely on religion or history but was mostly about what was there at the current time. Landscapes, still life, everyday settings, etc. were quite popular, but it was not the same for everyone. For example, Rembrandt’s works were very clear and simple where if you were to compare and contrast the works of Johannes Vermeer, his art had many different ways to interpret his art.
Overall, the Renaissance was a time of rebirth of a continent. A time where the arts thrived and a new age started. Things began to become more simple and it showed in the arts during the time. It paved the path for new artists to come and extended its values to other places. It was a period that really showed how the arts can influence an entire culture.