Traits of tolerance

by Xander van Eck

The seventeenth-century Dutch Republic was a place of surprising religious diversity. That much is clear if we look at its leading artists: Frans Hals was Reformed, Jan Steen en Johannes Vermeer were Catholic, and Rembrandt was not tied to any church. They all sold their work to patrons from wide-ranging religious backgrounds. Only the Reformed Church was recognised by the authorities, but many other religious thrived behind closed doors. This book sheds light on how government and the public worked together to resolve a new dilemma: how can peace be maintained in a country with a variety...