Compilation of details from still lifes made by 17th C. Dutch painters. Among them: Jacob van Campen, Osias Beert, Clara Peeters, Joachim de Beuckelaer.
Pillar 3: Openness to foreign influences
Here you see a compilation of 17th C. paintings by Dutch masters. It is a paean on the rich and abundant foodculture of the Golden Age. The Netherlands ruled the waves and the elite could afford luxurious and exotic products from all parts of the world. These paintings also demonstrate the third distinguishing mark of Dutch foodculture: its
openness to foreign influences.
Next to local ingredients like oysters, lobsters and cheese, we see lots of non-indigenous products like citrus, pommegranates and spices. Products that didn't grow here, aspergus and artichokes for example, were cultivated and/or manipulated into new species. Nowadays The Netherlands has become one of the largest exportcountries of vegetables, more specifically tomatoes and bell peppers.
Lobster is very much present on the paintings. This species dissapeared more or less because of the waterprojects in the Zeeland province (Deltawerken), but a new species evoluated and is now a foodies favorite.
