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Portraiture 

Portraiture was popular among the Dutch and took many forms.

Group portraiture portraying corporate membership became a Dutch specialty in the 17th

century.   

In the 17th century, artists made Portraiture of large canvases filled with many individuals who

shared the cost of the commission.

Painters presented interesting compositions that gave attention to each individual in the portrait.

Painters like Rembrandt made self-portraits that expressed internalized spirituality and

psychological honesty that was new in the history of art.

Still Painting. 

Still-life paintings were highly realistic and had very detailed representations of objects. Artists

had the ability to depict high precision and accuracy in the shape, texture, and colors of their

paintings.  

Paintings were made with depictions that were more scientifically accurate, with color sketches

that represented each type of flower.

The Dutch imposed their love of nature in their still-life painting. They artfully arranged

everyday objects or flowers in their paintings.

Genre paintings 

The Dutch artists made depictions of the country’s landscapes, cities, and scenes of daily life in

genre paintings.

Painters such as Johannes Vermeer made paintings that depicted scenes of everyday domestic

life.
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Genre paintings were used to reflect the values and social norms of the Dutch community.

Artists such as Emmanuel de Witte used genre paintings that portrayed architectural interiors.

Accounts for the importance of Portraiture, still-life, and genre painting in the Dutch

Republic 

1. The rise of wealthy middle-class people - With the nation’s middle class gaining

significant wealth from trading, they commissioned portraits to demonstrate the new

status and social power. 

2.  Portraiture was in high demand as political leaders demanded portraits to represent their

status in civic leadership. 

3. Genre paintings were used to represent everyday scenes of individuals while also

emphasizing important values and social norms of the Dutch.