amatically from its neighbours and it was this structure which enabled the revolt’s success and paradoxically its republic’s eventual downfall. With the reliance on the Middle Class Bourgeoisie to power the economy, the agricultural resources of the Netherlands could be exploited to their full potential and the Netherlands became a leading centre of commerce. The cultural world of the Republic ensured that art as part of this economy could flourish and thus it can be seen how behind all this wealth and prosperity lay the true heart of the Dutch world, and paramount to this true heart a confused moral message. It is the beliefs shaping Dutch society which make its art so fascinating and these beliefs were allowed to thrive during the revolt and shaped the consequent political and economic world.Although the Dutch Revolt was made up of many complex and overlapping movements, the beliefs and motives behind these movements gave it a sense of unity as well as accounting for the diversity of the resulting culture. In the words of Professor J.W Smit the revolt was ‘a number of revolts representing the interests and the ideals of various social, economical and ideological groups,’ and therefore these motives must be analysed foremost. The first aspect that should be considered is political motives behind the revolt which influenced the political and social structure of the Northern Provinces, and thus the art which resulted. Although I do see the moral and religious values as the most profound in influencing the art and the republic, it is necessary to analyse the political structure foremost because then it can be understood how the liberty of conscience prevailed as a religious outlook. The revolt originated with the grandees’ campaign against Granvelle and his inner council in 1566, which represented a political motive that the true liberties of the Dutch middle class were being manipulated. Indeed it was the Du...
