Holland's golden century and God's Providence - Slides

INTRODUCTION The Centre for the Study of the Golden Age* aims at: Rethinking the Dutch Republic between 1550 and 1750, KEY WORDS its key role in the economy, politics and culture Calvinism of Europe and the world Daily life, Open society, Patricians, *Amsterdams Centrum voor de Studie van de Gouden Eeuw Republic,

Colonization, Prosperity, Trade THIS POWERPOINT: DRAFT OF A UNIFICATIONIST PERSPECTIVE ON THIS PERIOD Happiness, Play, soft power

GOD’S PROVIDENCE IN THE NETHERLANDS In the history of Western Europe, we find that the center of power changed many times, from Rome to the Carolingian court, to the cities of Renaissance Italy. Spain and Portugal then became the leading powers of Europe, followed briefly by France and the Netherlands, and then England. In the modern era, the leadership of the West has been divided between America and the Soviet Union. (Eschatology, 2.3 p. 85)

The flames of the Reformation grew strong and soon spread to Switzerland under the leadership of Huldrych Zwingli (1484- 1531), to France as led by Jean Calvin (1509-1564), and into such nations as England and the Netherlands. (Preparation 2 1.2 p. 353)

Let us examine how Abel-type democracy was established in England and the United States. In England, James I (r. 1603-1625) strengthened absolute monarchy and the state church while persecuting Puritans and other dissenting Christians, many of whom fled to other European nations or to the American continent in search of religious freedom. His son Charles I (r. 1625-1649) was met with rebellion by the Presbyterians of Scotland, who rallied around the National Covenant in 1640. The Puritans, who formed the core membership of the English Parliament, then launched the Puritan Revolution under the leadership of Oliver Cromwell in 1642. Later, after Charles II (r. 1660-1685) restored absolute monarchy and strengthened the Anglican church against all other Christians, and his son James II (r. 1685-1688) declared himself a Catholic, Protestant leaders invited William of Orange (r. 1688- 1702), his son-in-law, who was at that time Stadtholder of the Netherlands, to intervene. In 1688, William landed in England with his troops to defend religious freedom and civil rights. Upon his enthronement, William approved the Declaration of Rights offered to him by the Parliament, which recognized the Parliament’s independent rights. This became foundational for the English constitutional monarchy. Since the revolution of 1688 was accomplished without bloodshed, it came to be known as the Glorious Revolution. (Preparation 2, 3.1.2, p. 360)

Human geography Netherlands Top of former Heir of the Lotharingia Caroligian Dream

Gate of Rhenan Europe Beacon of Rhenan culture

Hub of the Blue Banana Cervical vertebrae of the backbone of Europe

Rotterdam : estuary of the Rhine and Maas River, facing England The flow of history and the work of men played the main role

Land reclamation in The Netherlands through Poldering (20% bigger than originally)

God created the world, but the Dutch created The Netherlands

WHEN NETHERLANDS WERE TEACHING HAPPINESS

Nederlandse Spreekwoorden; Flemish Proverbs, The Blue Cloak or The Topsy Turvy World

In the Golden Age, the Dutch people studied hard, worked a lot, traveled much. Most of all, they started to teach a proverbial happiness, a new idea in Europe.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1559

What were the ingredients of the Dutch art of living and Happiness? Wrong Wrong desires, Human Right desires, Right Misfortune Joy deeds thoughts beings thoughts deeds

SPINOZA’S REVOLUTIONARY JOY-ORIENTED ETHICS

Heart: the irrepressible Subject impulse to seek joy (heart) through loving an object (Unification Thought) Joy Love

True object Substantial Good beautiful

Joy is the transition of man from a less to a greater perfection. (Baruch Spinoza)

Marriage is a long conversation. Friedrich Nietzsche

It seems they are not interested in showing off their wealth or prosperity, but they seem to celebrate their pure marital companionship. Casteleyn seems to be interrupted at his work by his wife, but she seems to be welcomed by him. Their hands are joined as a symbol of marital fidelity, A happy marriage is a long conversation and she is smiling at her husband who seems to be casually greeting the viewer to which always seems too short. introduce his wife as his companion André Maurois

VISION OF HUMAN LOVE IN THE GOLDEN CENTURY

She likes to touch the ring on the hand that touches her breast

Jacob Cats’ Houwelick (Marriage) is published in 1625. 50,000 copies were printed. “At the core of the marriage bond is affection, tender-hearted sentiment, love.” Cats wrote for young men in search of the ideal partner. Based on the Calvinist ethics, he advocated the divine guidance for a good choice and the mutual love (companionship) in marriage

Rapid urbanization • I have come to think there is something inherently appealing to the human morals or ideals toward family life, beyond any Decrease of extended family Increase of nuclear family cultural differences, underneath seventeenth century Dutch art. • the relationship between husbands and wives and between parents and children became more intimate and warmer; the Quest of ideal family family spent more time together at home and enjoyed many Love, affection, care, play family activities and celebrations. • The wedding festivities in seventeenth century Holland were extravagant and even a middle-class wedding lasted many days In search of ideal home with many guests enjoying music, dancing, and the reading of Beautifully decorated interiors poems written for the special occasion. (Eriko Taira)

Dutch Interiors and the biblicisation of daily life Godliness, cleanliness, healthiness. Fresh air The house should be clean, healthy and decent, but excess in good, drinks, wealth is detrimental to earthly life and eternal life. Netherlands Painting developed a strong culture of family life in a clean house, in a safe city. The home life is considered a key of citizenship and patriotism. The essence of Dutch paintings of interiors is to suggest that the holy person is the common man and not need to be a saint in extraordinary circumstances. The house is a daily chapel, well decorated, with mirrors Water & to show our daily progress toward some form of goodness and broom happiness. (1) Man lives outside, the woman reigns inside, at home. Harmony, tenderness and companionship were strongly emphasized by Calvinists, as a way to remain God centered and prosperous. Some historians suggest that the attention to the child came much earlier in Netherlands than in France and England (similar to Switzerland).

Brandenburg culture: Lutheranism + music (Bach) Dutch golden century: Calvinism + images (normally, Protestantism bans representations and forms (paintings, sculptures). But the Dutch golden century is characterized by ‘‘family protestant icons’’

(1) Dutch interiors may be also interpreted in the wider social context, namely the ‘biblicisation’ of everyday life (PIOTR OCZKO)

Role of Patrician doll’s houses

The family is the microcosm of the nation, the dollhouse is a house in miniature, to exhibit the social but also moral status. The dollhouse is a testament of the family values that will survive the life on earth. The message is that what we leave behind is love and lineage, more than a house, furniture and memorabilia.

THE GOLDEN AGE: THE PAINTING ERA

▪ A wide cultural and intellectual market production Joost van den Vondel (1587-1679) Frans Hals (1588-1626)

▪ Instead of hoarding : contribute to the works of Art ▪ Decisive role of immigration in the cultural boom ▪ The cursed painter & the folk craftsman : romantic figures from the past

Constantin Huygens (1596-1687)

Dutch specificity in the baroque Europe

Het Stadhuis op de Dam, omstreeks 1670, naar Gerrit Berckheyde

New pictoral themes : Landscape, Genre Painting & Still Life

Jacob van Ruisdael (1628-1682), Landschap met waterval

Jan Steen (1626-1679), The dancing couple

A new kind of realism

⚫ Descriptive paintings > < narrative paintings (in Italy) = « Suspense of Time » ⚫ Made exact faces and objects ⚫ Taste for anecdote caught on the spot ⚫ Details and specialisation of the artists ⚫ Didactic dimmension : teaching & entertainment

Pieter Claesz Stilleven, Met een brandende kaars, 1627

A mysterious dutch touch

Rembrandt, The Nightwatch, 1642

Johannes Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance, (1662-1663) Johannes Vermeer, The art of painting, (~1666)

Comparison with the artistic style of Unificationnism

A scientific avant-garde

The famous Elsevier tree printer’s mark, in a 1653 book Hendrick van der Burgh, A graduation ceremony at Leiden University, (~1650)

Major contributions to the universal knowldedge

Antoni van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) Jan Leeghwater (1575-1650)

Grotius (1583-1645)

Two main figures of Rationalism in philosophy

René Descartes (1596-1650) Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677)

RELIGION, POLITICS AND ECONOMY IN THE GOLDEN AGE

Heaven belongs to all Defining the good way of life in Unificationism Common (supra) ism Worldview

Humanity belongs to all The Earth belongs to all

Common good Common goods Politics, governance (Economy)

The ideals of Kong Saeng, Kong Yong, Kong Ui, Parallels 7.2.7

The Calvinist-Humanist pragmatic nation

Common ism Worldview

The nation of entrepreneurs and The Republic of artists Patricians

Common good 共榮 共生 The most prosperous nation, based on Politics, governance production, trade, 공영 공생 transformation, a maritime empire, banks, risk taking

Heaven mankind

Sam Tae Guk De Stilj Gankyil The Wheel of Joy Universality Vertical/horizontality +/- De Stilj Importance of Number 3 Sense of the collective Light, human beings, objects

Calvinist preachers, scholars, scientists, researchers, visionaries Auctoritas The century of Grotius, Spinoza, Huygens, Comenius, Descartes

A society Amsterdam = new of Athens, new Jerusalem teachers

Golden’s century A Owners and Patricians A society society masters of of Safety, owners Efficiency parents Dominatio Potestas homelife Mastership Good health, care, welfare

The Dutch miracle • After the failure of the Holy Roman Empire (unity between the Catholic Popes and the German Emperor), God worked mostly through the Protestant Reformation and the Humanistic Renaissance, in order to bring about religious freedom, democracy, and prosperity. • Most nations needed political revolutions to destroy the Old Regime and break the feudal order. • The case of Holland is different. The Republic tried an experiment where the best of the Reformation and the best of Renaissance could work together in harmony. The motto of this experience was Concordia res parvæ crescent (‘‘Small things flourish by concord’’, Sallustus). In this rather peaceful cultural revolution, small steps were preferred to giant leaps. • The aristocrats and the Clergy were not ‘‘punished’’, but an elite of Patricians established a new type of governance, in a predominantly urban society. The main source of income became trade and a fair taxation. The rule of law was established and the embryo of a self-governing middle-class appeared. Netherlands was the first imporant nation in Europe to build a real civil society.

• The shelter of Europeans BIRTH OF THE • The Mecca of Humanism (art, philosophy, science) FIRST OPEN • The campus of Europe (Leyde university, many SOCIETY scholars, scientists) (KARL POPPER) • The printing shop of Europe (Elzevir) MOBILIZING • The flower shop of Europe (still today) SOFT POWER AND USING • The navy of Europe (VOC), and harbour of the world INFLUENCE • The spice shop of Europe (pepper, other spices)

• The republic was a confederation of seven provinces, which had their own governments and were very independent, and a number of so-called Generality Lands. The latter were governed directly by the States General, the federal government. The States General were seated in The Hague and consisted of representatives of each of the seven provinces. The provinces of the republic were, in official feudal order:

• Duchy of Guelders

• County of Holland

• County of Zeeland

• Lordship of Utrecht

• Lordship of Overijssel

• Lordship of Frisia

• Lordship of Groningen

WHEN? The Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Provinciën = a federal republic 1 Dutch Revolt 5 1 8 5 8 1 6 8 2 8 0 Golden Century 1 Art and culture 1 1 6 7 7 7 2 0 9 2

5 Batavian Revolution

Religion and economy are integrated with our life in the society through politics. Especially in Western Europe, politics have sought to connect economic Sovereignty development, which has closely followed the progress of science, with the path of Christianity which has often lacked a clear sense of the providential direction. Parallels, 7.2.2 Covenant There is a Calvinist idea that God elected the United Provinces calvinism + through His predestination. This is the divine covenant (vaste Humanism verbond) between God and His people. He gave a promised land, a safe haven, which is constantly saved from the waters and preserved from disaster through Chosen Promised dikes, hard work, solidarity. Some Calvinists insisted on the People Land covenant between God high above and His children down (Dutch) below (Nederkinderen). The Netherlands are at the lowest possible level, but may bcome the Netherlands Garden (Nederlandse Tuin) with wealth, Federal Republic of Capitalist and abundance, beauty and prosperity. Patricians, rule of artistic society law, citizenship For Simon Schama, the Holland question was, ‘‘how to create Ideal nation a moral order in an earthly paradise’’ Calvinists and humanists agreed that prosperity would remain as long as the ethical principles would be preserved.

Nederkinderen Israëls

▪Some historians have talked about the national ideology of Nederkinderen Israëls, the New Children of Israel. Dutch saw themselves as the spiritual successors of the chosen Jewish nation ▪Analogies in the Republic: ▪overthrowing the Spanish rule was seen as the counterpart of the biblical Exodus, ▪William the Silent = new Moses. ▪Enemies of the Republic = Amalekites ▪Colonial expansion = the rightful conquer of the promised Canaan, ▪The preachers would compare the sinners to Philistines and Sodomites and make them responsible for the new Flood, obviously soon to happen. In the didactic and theological writings Dutch women were advised to look up to patriotic Esther, brave Judith or virtuous Susanna. Moreover, Calvinistic iconoclasm perfectly corresponded with the condemnable worship of golden William the Silent calves and false deities. The narratives from the Old Testament served as a constant point of reference, political and confessional propaganda, and social models. In office = 15 July 1544 – 10 July 1584

Seen as the new Moses.

The republican form of government was not democratic in the modern sense; in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, the “regents” or regenten formed the ruling class of the Dutch Republic, the leaders of the Dutch cities or the heads of organisations (e.g. “regent of an orphanage”). Since the late Middle Ages Dutch cities had been run by the richer merchant families. Although not formally a hereditary “class”, they were de facto “patricians”, comparable in some sense to that ancient Roman class. At first the lower-class citizens in the guilds and schutterijen could unite to form a certain counterbalance to the regenten, but in the course of the 16th, 17th and 18th century the administration of the cities and towns became oligarchical in character, and it became harder and harder to enter their caste. From the latter part of the 17th century the regent families were able to reserve government offices to themselves via quasi-formal contractual arrangements. Most offices were filled by co-option for Great Assembly of 1651 by Dirck van Delen life. Thus the regent class tended to perpetuate itself into a closed showing the interior of the Ridderzaal at the class. However, in practice they had to take into account the opinions time. of the man on the street, otherwise they ran the risk of being dislodged by political upheavals, like the Orangist revolutions of 1672 and 1747 and the Patriot revolt.

THE BALANCE BETWEEN HOLLAND’S HEGEMONY AND A CONSENSUS CULTURE Holland built the Republic and its institutions on the basis of sovereign provincial rights. However, only Holland could fully utilize them. It employed the lesser provinces, as they were reconquered, to bolster her defenses and economic resources. This framework was largely built and imposed by Holland, sometimes over the objections of the other provinces. Principle decisions, however, were seldom, if ever, taken over the objections of Holland. In the same way, Holland, in the interests of harmony, would not try, once the other provinces were reconstituted and rejoined to the Union, to take a decision over the strenuous objections of the other provinces, but would try to build a majority consensus on major decisions. Within these constraints, a persuasive Councilor Pensionary of Holland and/or a Stadholder/Prince of Orange could move the provinces to a consensus. The States-General conducted foreign relations, declared war and peace, administered the army and navy, and levied tariffs. In short, it exclusively concerned itself with all those affairs that concerned the outward and common concerns of the Republic. It had negligible power internally, which was jealously guarded by the provincial States. One of the most important tasks of the States-General was the appointment of the commander of the Republic’s armies, the Captain General of the Union. The appointment was for life.

▪The County of Holland was the wealthiest and most urbanized region in the world.

THE EMBRYO ▪In 1650 the urban population of the Dutch Republic as a percentage of total population was 31.7 percent, while that of the Spanish Netherlands was OF A SOCIAL 20.8 percent, of Portugal 16.6 percent, and of Italy 14 percent. In 1675 the urban population density of Holland alone was 61 percent, that of the rest of CONTRACT the Dutch Republic 27 percent.

A NATION OF ▪It is in this environment that Dutch patricians could fully express their genius

CITIES AND and creative capacities. We can see the same spirit later on the East Coast of the USA, especially the area of New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts. In many

CITIZENS ways, the Dutch republic pioneered a model of governance of the people, by the people, for the people (and for happiness), which later became institutionalized in the American culture. The Calvinist root of America is Dutch, rather than really English.

• A tiny and fragile homeland, the whole world as stage of human activity.

• An economy of men, by men and for men. The human capital is far more important than ‘‘natural resources’’. Brain drain: The Dutch Republic attracted all the grey matter of Europe. The whole

THE ECONOMIC • nation was involved in Research and Development

Capitalism, based on local production (limited) but mostly transformation (lace, porcelaine, cheese, MODEL OF THE flowers) and foreign trade. Development of a urban, safe, highly mechanized civilization (windmills, dikes, boats) DUTCH REPUBLIC • Dutch pragmatism, empiricism: whatever works

• Precise accountance, checks and balances, transparency, thrift, hard work, moderation

HOMO BATAVUS, •

• The first national bank

Amsterdam’s stock exchange CIVIS MUNDI • Patricians as a class of entrepreneurs

(ERASMUS) • Foreign trade between the South of Europe (Spain, Portugal) and the North of Europe (Baltic sea), and then with the whole world (Americas, Africa, Asia, Oceania)

• Wealth is not an end in itself, but should serve the advancement of human beings in the daily life, culture, education, art, creativity.

RANGAKU EAST MEETS WEST 蘭 学 Holland and Japan in the Golden Century

Huis Ten Bosch in Nagasaki, Japan

Huis Ten Bosch

RAN-GAKU, NETHERLAND’S STUDIES 蘭 Holland Holanda ORANDA

学 NL Portugees Japanese

THERE ARRIVED A STRANGE “HAIRY CHINESE” 毛唐”, “SOUTHERN BARBARIAN” 南蛮

1600 – 1868 VOC POST, DEJIMA IN NAGASAKI, JAPAN

STORY OF JAN KOCK BROMHOF, KAPITEIN VOC JAPAN POST (1817-1823)

A MEDICAL BOOK ON ANATOMY STUDY “TAFEL ANATOMIA” (ONTLEEDKUNDIGE TAFELEN) WAS TRANSLATED INTO JAPANESE BY JAPANESE TRANSLATORS AND DOCTORS.

Sugita Genpaku Maeno Ryotaku

LOOKING SO EXOTIC, WORTH SIGHT-SEEING. HOKUSAI KATSUSHIKA (1760- 1849)

Thank you, Oranda!

Volkenkunde Museum Leiden 2016

CAIN-ABEL PROBLEM WITHIN/ WITHOUT England Causes of decline

Religion Politics Repu Contra Rem Rem Orangists b

Southern Lowlands (Cain)

Madison judgment on the Dutch confederacy “Imbecility in the government; discord among the provinces; foreign influence and indignities; a precarious existence in peace, and peculiar calamities from war.”

Happiness as a new idea in Netherlands, Europe started discretely the playing and steafastly in the Netherlands. nation, and the building of Cheon Il Guk Far from being excessively serious, Netherlands became the playful nation of Europe

A Game of Tric Trac

The Netherlands: Europe’s playground Playfulness is a recurring theme in the Dutch culture. There seems to be a particular gamesome gene in our culture, starting all the way back with Erasmus. Hans Luyckx

• Johan Huizinga defined man as Homo Ludens (playing man). A historian, anthropologist and cultural theorist (1872-1945), he elaborates his theories on the ‘spelende mens’ and the playful nature of humankind. There is a natural impulse to think, create and play. According to Huizinga, all human beings are interested in games and playing. Everybody likes to play. In Huizinga’s definition, playing can be any voluntary activity that takes place under set conditions and results in excitement and joy. To be able to play, people need a space where they feel secure and embedded. It could be any kind of space, whether it be an arena or a podium, a pool table or a temple. • In the 17th century, Dutch people sought justification through faith in God and through good deeds on earth. They tried to practice God’s words by playing their role well in the daily life. Everyone could see through the window, because your life was exhibited. As Dutch did that, the whole nation became one powerful team with a tiny homeland and a huge empire where the sun never set. • This led them to see their whole existence as some sort of play in the presence of God, on the world stage. And in this play, there is much learning, much doing and traveling, much counting, cleaning, praising, painting. The whole life is to be represented realistically, Johan Huizinga as the quest of an ideal. And this has to be done with an 1872-1945 adventurous spirit under the coaching of a good God.

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