e and more paintings and other works of art so he could decorate his home. He did not purchase foreign works of art as had his predecessors but instead desired paintings which came within the range of his own familiar experience. They also had to be small enough to fit into his house and cheap enough for his level of wealth. The average Dutchman was not interested in Greek gods or goddesses and also did not purchase religious representations because there was no room for them in his sunlit churches and because Protestant dogma did not encourage it as Catholic dogma did to the South. This meant that the artist was free to paint what he liked, though this was a freedom limited by the tastes of the patron:
The seventeenth century Dutchman wanted for his home an art that he could understand, pictures of his fellow countrymen at work, play, or at church. In order to supply this demand there were hundreds of artists who were taught to render the actual aspect of natural appearances. . . Consequently, it was not long before pictures became a glut on the market.
One of the aspects of Dutch life that was depicted involved prostitution and the brothel. Throughout this century, the Dutch were ambivalent about the sorts of activities that took place in inns and taverns. Both the church and the government tried to place operating restrictions on taverns, including making them close during the hours of Sunday worship and prohibiting from serving alcohol to minors. Such measures were intended not just to control but to eliminate certain activities in taverns. There were tracts against smoking, gambling, and cardplaying. One who depicted these and sexual activities in his etchings was Cornelis Bega, and his "Man Caressing the Young Hostess" is set in a rustic tavern with a barmaid and customers who are typical peasant types. By this time, there
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