It is a historical stroke of luck that in such a tumultuous time as the 17th century, both culturally and militarily, there was a rapid development in the artistic representation of all facets of human life. Never before in history had so many high-quality paintings been created in various areas of social life. Towards the end of the 16th century, the so-called "Golden Age of Painting" began, particularly in the Netherlands. Many of the paintings produced depict events from the war between the Kingdom of Spain and the Netherlands, which sought freedom and independence, from 1568 to 1648. Additionally, a parallel pan-European conflict, the Thirty Years' War from 1618 to 1648, provided many themes for an entire generation of artists.