Editing Culture of the Netherlands (section)

==Art and media==

=== Art ===
{{main|Dutch art}}
[[File:Vermeer-view-of-delft.jpg|thumb|left|210px|[[Johannes Vermeer]], ''View of Delft'' ([[Mauritshuis]], [[The Hague]]) 1660-1661]]
[[Dutch Golden Age painting]] was among the most acclaimed in the world at the time, during the 17th century. There was an enormous output of painting, so much so that prices declined seriously during the period. From the 1620s, Dutch painting broke decisively from the [[Baroque]] style typified by [[Peter Paul Rubens|Rubens]] in neighbouring Flanders into a more realistic style of depiction, very much concerned with the real world. Types of paintings included historical paintings, portraiture, landscapes and cityscapes, [[still life]]s and [[Genre works|genre painting]]s. In the last four of these categories, Dutch painters established styles upon which art in Europe depended for the next two centuries. Paintings often had a moralistic subtext. The Golden Age never really recovered from the French invasion of 1672, although there was a twilight period lasting until about 1710.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

Dutch painters, especially in the northern provinces, tried to evoke emotions in the spectator by letting him/her be a bystander to a scene of profound intimacy. Portrait painting thrived in the Netherlands in the 17th century. A great many portraits were commissioned by wealthy individuals. Group portraits similarly were often ordered by prominent members of a city's civilian guard, by boards of trustees and regents, and the like. Often group portraits were paid for by each portrayed person individually. The key example to this is [[The Night Watch]] by [[Rembrandt]]. The amount paid determined each person's place in the picture, either head to toe in full regalia in the foreground or face only in the back of the group. Sometimes all group members paid an equal sum, which was likely to lead to quarrels when some members gained a more prominent place in the picture than others. Allegories, in which painted objects conveyed symbolic meaning about the subject, were often applied. Many genre paintings, which seemingly only depicted everyday life, actually illustrated Dutch proverbs and sayings, or conveyed a moralistic message, the meaning of which is not always easy to decipher nowadays. Favourite topics in Dutch landscapes were the dunes along the western seacoast, rivers with their broad adjoining meadows where cattle grazed, often a silhouette of a city in the distance.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

[[File:Van Gogh - Starry Night - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|210px|[[Vincent van Gogh]], ''[[The Starry Night|Starry Night]]'', 1889, [[Museum of Modern Art]], New York City]]
The [[Hague School]] were around at the start of the 19th century. They showed all that is gravest or brightest in the landscape of Holland, all that is heaviest or clearest in its atmosphere. [[Amsterdam Impressionism]] was current during the middle of the Nineteenth century at about the same time as [[French Impressionism]]. The painters put their impressions onto canvas with rapid, visible strokes of the brush. They focused on depicting the everyday life of the city. Late nineteenth-century Amsterdam was a bustling centre of art and literature. [[Vincent van Gogh]] was a [[Post-Impressionism|post-Impressionist]] painter whose work, notable for its rough beauty, emotional honesty and bold color, had a far-reaching influence on 20th-century art. In the 20th century, the Netherlands produced many fine painters and artists including (but not limited to): [[Roelof Frankot]], [[Salomon Garf]], [[Pyke Koch]] and many more. Around 1905-1910 pointillism was flourishing. Between 1911 and 1914 all the latest art movements arrived in the Netherlands one after another including [[cubism]], [[futurism]] and [[expressionism]]. After World War I, [[De Stijl]] (''the style'') was led by [[Piet Mondrian]] and promoted a pure art, consisting only of vertical and horizontal lines, and the use of primary colours.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

===Architecture===
{{main|Architecture of the Netherlands}}
{{see also|Dutch Baroque architecture}}
[[File:Palacio Real, Ámsterdam, Países Bajos, 2016-05-30, DD 07-09 HDR.jpg|left|thumb|210px|''Koninklijk Paleis'' ([[Royal Palace of Amsterdam]]) by [[Jacob van Campen]]]]

The [[Dutch Golden Age]] roughly spanned the 17th century. Due to the thriving economy, cities expanded greatly. New town halls and storehouses were built, and many new canals were dug out in and around various cities such as [[Delft]], [[Leiden]] and [[Amsterdam]] for defence and transport purposes. Many wealthy merchants had a new house built along these canals. These houses were generally very narrow and had ornamented façades that befitted their new status. The reason they were narrow was because a house was taxed on the width of the façade. The architecture of the first republic in Northern Europe was marked by sobriety and restraint, and was meant to reflect democratic values by quoting extensively from [[classical antiquity]]. In general, architecture in the [[Low Countries]], both in the [[Counter-Reformation]]-influenced [[Spanish Netherlands|south]] and [[Protestantism|Protestant]]-dominated north, remained strongly invested in northern [[Italy|Italian]] [[Renaissance architecture|Renaissance]] and [[Mannerism|Mannerist]] forms that predated the [[Rome|Roman]] [[Baroque architecture|High Baroque]] style of [[Borromini]] and [[Bernini]]. Instead, the more austere form practiced in the Dutch Republic was well suited to major building patterns: palaces for the [[House of Orange]] and new civic buildings, uninfluenced by the Counter-Reformation style that made some headway in [[Antwerp]]. At the end of the 19th century there was a remarkable [[neo-Gothic]] stream or [[Gothic Revival]] both in church and in public architecture, notably by the Roman Catholic [[Pierre Cuypers]], who was inspired by the Frenchman [[Viollet le Duc]]. The Amsterdam [[Rijksmuseum]] (1876–1885) and [[Amsterdam Centraal]] Station (1881–1889) belong to his main buildings.

[[File:HilversumCityHall-front.jpg|thumb|210px|Hilversum City Hall by [[Willem Marinus Dudok]]]]
During the 20th century Dutch architects played a leading role in the development of modern architecture. Out of the early 20th century rationalist architecture of [[Hendrik Petrus Berlage|Berlage]], architect of the [[Beurs van Berlage]], three separate groups developed during the 1920s, each with their own view on which direction modern architecture should take. Expressionist architects like M. de Klerk and P.J. Kramer in [[Amsterdam]] (''See [[Amsterdam School]]''). Functionalist architects (''[[Nieuwe Zakelijkheid]]'' or ''Nieuwe Bouwen'') like [[Mart Stam]], L. C. van der Vlugt, [[Willem Marinus Dudok]] and Johannes Duiker had good ties with the international modernist group [[Congrès International d'Architecture Moderne|CIAM]]. A third group came out of the [[De Stijl]] movement, among them J. J. P. Oud and [[Gerrit Rietveld]]. Both architects later built in a functionalist style. During the 1950s and 1960s a new generation of architects like [[Aldo van Eyck]], [[J.B. Bakema]] and Herman Hertzberger, known as the ‘Forum generation’ (named after a magazine titled ''Forum'') formed a connection with international groups like [[Team 10]]. From the '80s to the present [[Rem Koolhaas]] and his [[Office for Metropolitan Architecture]] (OMA) became one of the leading world architects. With him, formed a new generation of Dutch architects working in a modernist tradition.

===Literature===
{{main|Dutch literature}}
[[File:Eduard Douwes Dekker - 001.jpg|thumb|210px|Eduard Douwes Dekker, also known as [[Multatuli]]]]
Some of the most important and internationally awarded writers are:

16th century:
* [[Desiderius Erasmus]]
17th century:
* [[Baruch de Spinoza]]
* [[Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft]]
* [[Joost van den Vondel]]
19th century:
* [[Multatuli]]
20th century:
* [[Louis Couperus]]
* [[Martinus Nijhoff]]
* [[Anne Frank]]
* [[Simon Vestdijk]]
* [[Willem Frederik Hermans]]
* [[Gerard Reve]]
* [[Hella Haasse]]
* [[Harry Mulisch]]
* [[Jan Wolkers]]
* [[Cees Nooteboom]]

===Comic strips===
{{main|Dutch comics}}
The Dutch have a distinct [[comics|comic book]] tradition as well. Although there is an abundance of Flemish, [[Franco-Belgian comics|Franco-Belgian]], and US comics, they also created their own. Examples are [[Agent 327|Secret agent 327]] and [[Storm (Don Lawrence)|Storm]], written by [[Martin Lodewijk]] and [[Jack, Jacky and the Juniors]] by [[Jan Kruis]], as well as cartoons with a more literary style, like [[Viking]] series ''[[Eric de Noorman]]'' by [[Hans G. Kresse]] and ''Tom Poes & Heer Bommel'' ([[Tom Puss]]/[[Oliver B. Bumble]]) created by [[Marten Toonder]]. The nations love of football also translated into comics, like [[Roel Dijkstra]] and ''F.C. Knudde''.

Children's comic book series [[Miffy]] (Dutch: ''Nijntje'') by [[Dick Bruna]] has been published in over 50 languages,<ref name=Telegraph>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/donotmigrate/3557810/Dick-Bruna-creator-of-the-Miffy-books-talks-about-his-life-and-work.html |title=Dick Bruna, creator of the Miffy books, talks about his life and work |date=31 July 2008 |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |access-date=18 September 2010 |location=London |first=H. |last=Harrod}}</ref> and predates the similarly drawn [[Hello Kitty]] by over ten years.

===Music and dance===
{{main|Music of the Netherlands|Music of Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles|Dance in the Netherlands}}
The Netherlands has diverse [[music]]al traditions, ranging from folk and dance to classical music and ballet. Traditional Dutch music is a genre known as [[levenslied]], meaning 'song of life', to an extent comparable to French [[chanson]] or German [[Schlager music|schlager]]. These songs typically have a simple melody and rhythm, and a straightforward structure of couplets and refrains. Themes can be light, but are often sentimental and include [[love]], [[death]] and [[loneliness]]. Traditional musical instruments such as the [[accordion]] and the [[barrel organ]] are a staple of levenslied music, though in recent years, many artists also use synthesizers and guitars. Artists in this genre include [[Jan Smit (singer)|Jan Smit]], [[Frans Bauer]] and the late [[André Hazes]].
[[Image:Anouk at fesival mundial 2008.JPG|thumb|Rock singer [[Anouk (singer)|Anouk]] at Festival Mundial in 2008]]
More than most other non-English speaking European countries, the Netherlands has remained closely in tune with US and British trends since the 1950s. Contemporary Dutch [[Rock music|rock]] and [[pop music]] ([[Nederpop]]) originated in the 1960s, heavily influenced by popular music from the [[United States|USA]] and [[United Kingdom|Britain]]. In the 1960s and 1970s, the lyrics were mostly in English, and some tracks were instrumental. Bands such as [[Shocking Blue]], (the) [[Golden Earring]] and [[Focus (band)|Focus]] enjoyed international success. As of the 1980s, more and more pop musicians started working in the Dutch language, partly inspired by the huge success of the band [[Doe Maar]]. Today, Dutch rock and pop music thrives in both languages, with some artists recording in both.<br /> Current [[symphonic metal]] bands [[Epica (band)|Epica]] and [[Within Temptation]], as well as [[jazz]]/pop singer [[Caro Emerald]] are having some international success. Contemporary local icons include rock singer [[Anouk (singer)|Anouk]], country pop singer [[Ilse DeLange]], rock band [[Kane (Dutch band)|Kane]] and Dutch-language duo [[Nick & Simon]].

Early 1990s Dutch and [[Belgium|Belgian]] [[house music]] came together in [[Eurodance]] project [[2 Unlimited]]. Selling 18 million records,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/2-unlimited-mn0000431439/biography |title=2 Unlimited &#124; Biography &#124; AllMusic |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=30 June 2014}}</ref> the two singers in the band are the most successful Dutch music artists to this day. Tracks like "[[Get Ready for This]]" are still popular themes of U.S. sports events, like the [[NHL]]. In the mid 1990s Dutch language [[Hip hop music|rap and hip hop]] (''[[Dutch hip hop|Nederhop]]'') also came to maturation and has become popular in the Netherlands and Belgium. In the 21st century, artists with North African, Caribbean and Middle Eastern origins have profoundly influenced this genre.

Since the 1990s, Dutch [[electronic dance music]] (EDM) has conquered the world in many forms, from [[trance music|trance]], [[techno]] and [[gabber]] to [[hardstyle]]. Some of the world's best dance music DJs hail from the Netherlands, including [[Armin van Buuren]], [[Tiësto]], [[Hardwell]], [[Martin Garrix]] and [[Afrojack]]; the first four of which have been ranked as best in the world by [[DJ Mag Top 100 DJs]]. The [[Amsterdam dance event]] (ADE) is the world's leading electronic music conference and the biggest club festival for the many electronic subgenres on the planet.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.local-life.com/amsterdam/articles/amsterdam-dance-event |title=Amsterdam Dance Event - ADE - Amsterdam Life |website=Local-life.com |access-date=2 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dutchdailynews.com/the-international-dance-industry-assembles-in-amsterdam-next-week/ |title=The international Dance industry assembles in Amsterdam next week |date=12 October 2012 |website=Dutchdailynews.com |access-date=2 August 2017}}</ref> These artists also contribute significantly to the mainstream pop music played over the airwaves all around the world, as they frequently collaborate and produce for many notable artists.

In [[classical music]], [[Jan Sweelinck]] ranks as the Netherlands' most famous composer, with [[Louis Andriessen]] amongst the best-known living Dutch classical composers. Celebrated Dutch conductors, past and present, include [[Willem Mengelberg]], [[Eduard van Beinum]], [[Bernard Haitink]], [[Jac van Steen]] and [[Jaap van Zweden]]. Notable violinists are [[Janine Jansen]] and [[André Rieu]]. The latter, together with his Johann Strauss Orchestra, has taken classical and [[Waltz (music)|waltz music]] on worldwide concert tours, the size and revenue of which are otherwise only seen from the world's biggest rock and pop music acts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://press.andrerieu.com/tag/international/page/2/ |title=Archived copy |access-date=15 January 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160118042556/http://press.andrerieu.com/tag/international/page/2/ |archive-date=18 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/266418/top-25-tours-of-2009 |title=Top 25 Tours of 2009|website=Press.andrerieu.com |date=11 December 2009|access-date=2 August 2017}}</ref> Acclaimed harpist [[Lavinia Meijer]] in 2012 released an album of works by [[Philip Glass]] that she transcribed for harp, with the approval of the composer.<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/album/philip-glass-metamorphosis-the-hours-mw0002435025 Lavinia Meijer - Philip Glass: Metamorphosis & The Hours], Allmusic.com</ref> The [[Concertgebouw, Amsterdam|Concertgebouw]] (completed in 1888) in Amsterdam is home to the [[Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra]], considered one of the world's finest orchestras and on occasion voted the best of all.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97291390 |title=Chicago Symphony Tops U.S. Orchestras |website=Npr.org |access-date=2 August 2017}}</ref>

[[Aruba]] and the five main islands of the [[Netherlands Antilles]] are part of the [[Lesser Antilles]] island chain. Their music is a mixture of [[indigenous peoples|native]], [[African music|African]] and Dutch elements, and is closely connected with trends from neighbouring islands like [[Barbados]], [[Martinique]], [[Trinidad and Tobago]] and [[Guadeloupe]], as well as the mainland former Dutch possession of [[Suriname]], which has exported [[kaseko]] music to great success on the islands. Curaçao and Bonaire likely have the most active and well-known music scenes. Curaçao is known for a kind of music called [[Tumba (music)|tumba]], which is named after the conga drums that accompany it.

===Cabaret===
The Dutch also have their own distinct version of [[Cabaret#Dutch cabaret|cabaret]], with overarching themes and aimed at provoking thought, and sometimes sentiment, as well as laughs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/_low001199301_01/_low001199301_01_0034.php |title=The Low Countries. Jaargang 1 · dbnl|last=DBNL |website=DBNL |access-date=2 August 2017}}</ref> This is  exemplified in performers such as [[Wim Kan]] and [[Toon Hermans]] in the 1960s and 1970s and later diversified into a rich culture with artists such as [[Youp van 't Hek]], [[Freek de Jonge]], [[Herman van Veen]], [[Theo Maassen]], [[Claudia de Breij]], [[Dolf Jansen]], [[Brigitte Kaandorp]], [[Hans Teeuwen]] and [[Herman Finkers]].

===Film===
{{main|Cinema of the Netherlands}}
Some Dutch films – mainly by director [[Paul Verhoeven]] – have received international distribution and recognition, such as ''[[Turkish Delight (1973 film)|Turkish Delight]]'' ("''Turks Fruit''") (1973), ''[[Soldier of Orange]]'' ("''Soldaat van Oranje''") (1975), ''[[Spetters]]'' (1980) and ''[[The Fourth Man (1983 film)|The Fourth Man]]'' ("''De Vierde Man''") (1983). Verhoeven then went on to direct big [[Hollywood (film industry)|Hollywood]] films like ''[[RoboCop]]'' and ''[[Basic Instinct]]'', and returned with Dutch film ''[[Black Book (film)|Black Book]]'' in 2006.

Other well-known Dutch film directors are [[Jan de Bont]] (''[[Speed (1994 film)|Speed]]''), [[Dick Maas]] (''[[De Lift]]''), [[Fons Rademakers]] (''[[The Assault (1986 film)|The Assault]]''), documentary maker [[Bert Haanstra]] and [[Joris Ivens]]. Film director [[Theo van Gogh (film director)|Theo van Gogh]] achieved international notoriety in 2004 when he was murdered in the streets of [[Amsterdam]].

Internationally successful Dutch actors include [[Famke Janssen]] ([[X-Men (film series)|X-Men films]]), [[Carice van Houten]] (''[[Game of Thrones]]''), [[Rutger Hauer]] (''[[Blade Runner]]''), [[Jeroen Krabbé]] and [[Derek de Lint]].

===Radio and television===
{{main|Television in the Netherlands|Category:Radio stations in the Netherlands}}

The Netherlands has a well-developed radio and television market, with both multiple commercial and non-commercial broadcasters. Imported TV programmes, as well as interviews with responses in a foreign language, are virtually always shown with the original sound, and subtitled. The only exception are shows for children.

TV exports from the Netherlands mostly take the form of specific formats and franchises, most notably through internationally active TV production conglomerate [[Endemol]], founded by Dutch [[Mass media|media]] [[Business magnate|tycoons]] [[John de Mol, Jr.|John de Mol]] and [[Joop van den Ende]]. Headquartered in [[Amsterdam]], Endemol has around 90 companies in over 30 countries. Endemol and its subsidiaries create and run reality, talent, and game show franchises worldwide, including ''[[Big Brother (TV series)|Big Brother]], [[Deal or No Deal]], [[1 vs. 100]] and [[The Voice (TV series)|The Voice]].''

Two of the biggest annual Dutch radio events are [[3FM Serious Request]] and the [[Top 2000]] — both multi-day round-the-clock national broadcasting events in the month of December, supported by other media. They both have over half of the population of the Netherlands listening to the broadcasts each year.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ad.nl/ad/nl/5601/TV-Radio/article/detail/3373217/2013/01/07/Serious-Request-bereikt-12-1-miljoen-mensen.dhtml |title=Serious Request bereikt 12,1 miljoen mensen |language=nl |trans-title=Serious Request reaches 12.1 million people |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=7 January 2013 |newspaper=[[Algemeen Dagblad]] |access-date=21 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Bijsterveld |first=Karin |author-link=Karin Bijsterveld |title=Sound Souvenirs: Audio Technologies, Memory and Cultural Practices |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ribkrdRrkkEC&q=%22Top+2000%22+Netherlands&pg=PA117 |publisher=Amsterdam University Press |year=2009 |pages=116–118 |isbn=978-9089641328}}</ref>

[[Serious Request]] is a [[Red Cross]] fundraiser, held the week before Christmas on pop music station [[3FM]], and has grown to become an international franchise adopted by eight other countries.

The ''Top 2000'' is an integral broadcast of the 2,000 most popular songs of all time on station [[Radio 2 (Netherlands)|Radio 2]]<ref>{{cite book|last=van Dijck|first=José|title=Mediated Memories in the Digital Age|year=2007|publisher=Stanford University Press|isbn=978-0804756242|pages=93–97|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MpPEQdlIaigC&q=%22Top+2000%22+Netherlands&pg=PA95}}</ref> from noon 25 December [[Christmas Day]] through midnight of [[New Year's Eve]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Radio 2 weer van start met Top 2000|url=http://www.hartvannederland.nl/nederland/2012/radio-2-weer-van-start-met-top-2000/|publisher=HVNL|access-date=1 January 2013}}</ref>