People from all walks of life began to enthusiastically collect paintings.

New genres were born. And both the art market and the profession of art dealer emerged. Exceptional artists such as Rembrandt van Rijn, Jan Vermeer and Frans Hals created masterpieces that still inspire us today.

One reason for the cultural heyday and its glut of paintings was an enormous surplus of capital, generated by speculative money transactions and trade, which was also based on the exploitation of the colonies and the ideal conditions that shipping found in the Netherlands.

The film traces a period in which art, too, became an economic factor. In a way, the 17th century can be seen as the origin of our current art system. After all, this was when auction houses were first established, leading to emergence of professional art dealers and wealthy collectors. Art was democratized.

This documentary film explores an era when business and art entered into a marriage for the first time. How did such an artistic flourishing come about? What art-historical innovations do we owe to this period? And what significance does it have for our view of art and our approach to art today?
 

Broadcasting Hours: 

DW English

FRI 15.11.2024 – 01:15 UTC
FRI 15.11.2024 – 04:15 UTC
SAT 16.11.2024 – 13:15 UTC
SUN 17.11.2024 – 19:15 UTC
MON 18.11.2024 – 09:15 UTC
MON 18.11.2024 – 16:15 UTC
MON 18.11.2024 – 21:15 UTC
WED 20.11.2024 – 12:15 UTC

Lagos UTC +1 | Cape Town UTC +2 | Nairobi UTC +3
Delhi UTC +5,5 | Bangkok UTC +7 | Hong Kong UTC +8
London UTC +/-0 | Berlin UTC +1 | Moscow UTC +3
San Francisco UTC -8 | Edmonton UTC -7 | New York UTC -5