After successful trading missions to the Spice Islands (Indonesia) the Dutch established the East India Company (VOC) which was to grow into the world’s largest multi-national corporation in the 17th century. The VOC developed a near monopoly of the Asian spice trade and its huge maritime fleet became the world’s most powerful and profitable shipping company. Far from celebrating their so called “Golden Age”, the Dutch today are actively debating their colonial legacy which involved the enslavement and exploitation of millions in both their former Asian and Caribbean colonies.
How did the newly independent Netherlands emerge as a global superpower in the seventeenth century? This two-part series chronicles naval exploration and global commerce, scientific advances, and the booming art market in the Dutch Golden Age. Offered in conjunction with the special exhibition Dutch Art in a Global Age: Masterpieces from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
To request an accessibility accommodation for a Kimbell program, please email us as far in advance as possible.
