Envisioning today’s world without the events of the seventeenth century is a genuine awakening. From the conquests of the Americas by Europeans to traditional isolationist views in Asia, one could sufficiently argue this period in history as being the catalyst that ushered in the interdependent society enjoyed by those who presently inhabit the earth. Furthermore, the integration of people and cultures led to numerous indispensable discoveries of goods in foreign lands. The global market exploded as trade became prominent, and people’s definition of amenity changed to that which meant “they needed it because they wanted it.” Ideas, blue and white china, silver, people, and spices are a few examples of what was available on the global market at the time. In Vermeer’s Hat by Timothy Brook, Brook showcases
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Examining the painting View of Delft, Brook introduces the Dutch East India Company. The historical impact of this massive corporation could not have been imagined in its infancy. The significance of the company is exhibited in the line, “The world’s first joint-stock company, the VOC was formed in 1602 when the Dutch Republic obliged the many trading companies popping up to take advantage of the Asian trade boom to merge into a single commercial organization” (Brook 15). The VOC consisted of a coalition which included several chambers formed through both domination and accommodation. The dominating factor was that a consortium had been created allowing only those associated with the VOC to have access to trade with the east. However, as an accommodation, all chambers freely agreed to unify with the understanding that government would not become involved in the company’s affairs so long as taxes were rendered to the governing body. Thus, the “idea” of capitalism was transformed into a working economic system that still endures
Examining the painting View of Delft, Brook introduces the Dutch East India Company. The historical impact of this massive corporation could not have been imagined in its infancy. The significance of the company is exhibited in the line, “The world’s first joint-stock company, the VOC was formed in 1602 when the Dutch Republic obliged the many trading companies popping up to take advantage of the Asian trade boom to merge into a single commercial organization” (Brook 15). The VOC consisted of a coalition which included several chambers formed through both domination and accommodation. The dominating factor was that a consortium had been created allowing only those associated with the VOC to have access to trade with the east. However, as an accommodation, all chambers freely agreed to unify with the understanding that government would not become involved in the company’s affairs so long as taxes were rendered to the governing body. Thus, the “idea” of capitalism was transformed into a working economic system that still endures