While the spiritual urgency of the Counter-Reformation church dominated the arts in Italy, an entirely distinct visual revolution was taking place north of the Alps. In the new Protestant context, the need for religious imagery had all but vanished in the wake of the Reformation. Artists such as Jan Steen, Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, and many others, famously sought new subjects by appealing to the wishes of a new market. The religious altarpiece was supplanted by new subjects – landscape, still life, scenes of everyday life, and a reimagined approach to portraiture. Still loaded with symbols and hidden meanings, these new subjects capture a fascinating reflection of life in the Dutch Golden Age.

Presented by Dr Matthew Whyte.