What was daily life like in Rembrandt’s Europe? 
The various sorts of evidence available for answering this question include art from the period.  Some fine examples are displayed  in the collection of the Worcester Art Museum. (55 Salisbury Street;  phone: 799-4406). WAM is located at the corner of Salisbury Street (Rt. 9) and Institute Road (near WPI). 

WITH A HOLY CROSS ID, YOU MAY GAIN FREE ADMISSION TO THE MUSEUM.  The Museum is open: Wed.- Sun. 11-5.  It is closed on Mon. and Tues.  The Consortium Shuttle goes to the WAM – check current schedules. The Flemish and Dutch paintings are in one of several rooms on the second floor of the museum which are devoted to European painting: 

On October 18, you will submit a 4-5 page paper on daily life in 17th century Europe based on the 17th century Flemish and Dutch paintings in the museum and responding to the following questions in an integrated theme. 

    How did ordinary people live in the Low Countries of the 17th century?  How did they dress, eat, drink, party, pray, grow old, fall ill, and die?  What was their experience of the year’s seasons?  How did they experience work and play, land and sea, town and country, class and gender? In your paper make explicit reference to the paintings in answering these questions. 

Some of the Flemish paintings: 

 “Port Scene in Venice” 
“The Wedding Procession”    Jan Brueghel the Elder (1568-1625) 

 “The Smoker”  David Teniers (1610-90) 

“Landscape with Saint Anthony” Early 16th century, Flemish 

“Rest on the Flight into Egypt”  Master of 1518 and Master of Half Figures (two Antwerp artists) 

“The Virgin and Christ Child Welcoming the Cross” Marten de Vos (1532-1603) 
 
“Woman With a Child and A Maid in an Interior”    Pieter de Hooch (1629-84) 

Dutch paintings: 

“A Street Scene with Capriccio of Roman Buildings” ca. 1650 
Johannes Lingelbach (1622-74) 

 “A Game of Tric-Trac” (backgammon)    Judith Leyster (1609-60) 

 “The Baker”    Job Berckheyde (1630-93) 

“Card Players and Merrymakers”    Jacob Duch (1600-60) 

“Interior of a Tailor Shop”   Quiringh van Brekelenkam (ca. 1620-d68) 
 
“Portrait of Frans Post” ca. 1655    Frans Hals (1582/83-1666) 

 “Interior of the Choir of St. Bavo’s Church at Haarlem” ca. 1660 Pieter Saenredam (1597-1665) 

 “An Old Woman Praying” ca. 1655  Nicolas Maes (1634-93) 

 “St. Bartholomew” ca. 1633  Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-69) 

 “A Village Scene in Winter with a Frozen River”   Aert van der Neer (1603/4-1677) 

 “Interior of a Tavern with Three Peasants Smoking and Drinking” 
Adriaen van Ostade (1610-85) 

Jakob van Ruidael (ca. 1628-82) 
“View of the Ij on a Stormy Day” [port of Amsterdam] ca. 1660 

“Peasants in an Interior” 1660s  Cornelius Schaeck 

 “The Merrymakers” ca. 1650 Hendrick Sorgh (c. 1610-70) 

 “The Rhetoricians” ca. 1655  Jan Steen (1625/6-79) 

 “Storm at Sea”  Willem van de Velde the Younger (1633-1707) 

 “Winter Landscape with Skaters near a Castle” 1615  Adriaen van de Venne (1589-1662)