17th Century Culture
1600s
Events
East India Company founded in UK 1600
Dutch East India Company founded, begins colonization of Indonesia by Netherlands 1602
Texts
Don Quixote (Part I), Miguel de Cervantes (Spain) 1605
Volpone Ben Jonson (UK) 1606
Sonnets, Shakespeare (UK) 1609
Music
Theater
Hamlet W. Shakespeare (UK) 1602
Othello, Measure for Measure W. Shakespeare (UK) 1604
Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, King Lear W. Shakespeare (UK) 1606
Coriolanus, Timon of Athens W. Shakespeare (UK) 1607
Cymbeline W. Shakespeare (UK) 1609
1610s
Events
Thirty Years’ War begins 1618
Texts
The Winter’s Tale W. Shakespeare (UK) 1610
The Tempest W. Shakespeare (UK) 1611
Henry VIII W. Shakespeare (UK) 1612
Bartholomew Fair Ben Jonson (UK) 1614
Don Quixote (Part II, Miguel de Cervantes (Spain) 1615
Songs and Sonnets, John Donne 1617
Music
1620s
Events
Texts
Music
1630s
Events
Shah Jahan builds Taj Mahal (India) 1631
Harvard University founded 1636
Dutch Tulip Bubble and bust 1634-37
Texts
Music
Visual
Judgement of Paris, Peter Paul Rubens (Netherlands) 1639
Theory
Discourse on Method, René Descartes (France) 1637
Discourse on Two New Sciences, Galilei Galileo (Italy) 1638
1640s
Events
Thirty Years’ War ends 1648
Puritan Revolution in Britain 1649
Qing dynasty takes power in China 1644
Texts
Music
Visual
The Nightwatch Rembrandt (Netherlands) 1642
Theory
Principles of Philosophy, René Descartes (France) 1637
1650s
Events
Dutch establish colony at Cape of Good Hope 1652
First slave auction held in New York City 1655
Texts
Music
Visual
The Procuress Jan Vermeer (Netherlands) 1656
Girl Reading a Letter at a Open Window Jan Vermeer (Netherlands) 1657
Theory
Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes (UK) 1651
1660s
Events
Restoration of Charles II (UK) 1660
Louis XIV begins constructing Versailles 1662
Great Fire of London 1666
Newton invents calculus 1666
Texts
Paradise Lost, John Milton (UK) 1663
Selected poems, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (Mexico)
Music
Visual
The Milkmaid, The Girl with the Wineglass Johannes Vermeer (Netherlands) 1660
View of Delft, Girl Interrupted at Her Music Johannes Vermeer (Netherlands) 1661
A Lady at the Virginal with a Gentleman (The Music Lesson), Woman in Blue Reading a Letter, Woman Holding a Balance Johannes Vermeer (Netherlands) 1664
Woman Weighing Pearls, Young Woman with a Water Pitcher, Woman with a Pearl Necklace, A Lady Writing, The Girl with the Red Hat Johannes Vermeer (Netherlands) 1665
Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Concert Johannes Vermeer (Netherlands) 1666
The Art of Painting Johannes Vermeer (Netherlands) 1667
The Astronomer Johannes Vermeer (Netherlands) 1668
The Geographer Johannes Vermeer (Netherlands) 1669
Theater
Tartuffe, Jean Molière (France) 1664
The Misanthrope Jean Molière (France) 1666
Andromaque Jean Racine (France) 1667
Amphitryon Jean Molière (France) 1668
The Miser Jean Molière (France) 1668
Theory
Thoughts, Blaise Pascal (France) 1665
1670s
Events
Texts
Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan (UK) 1675
All for Love, John Dryden (UK) 1677
Selected poems, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (Mexico)
Music
Visual
The Lacemaker, The Love Letter, Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid Johannes Vermeer (Netherlands) 1670
The Guitar Player Johannes Vermeer (Netherlands) 1672
A Lady Standing at a Virginal Johannes Vermeer (Netherlands) 1673
Allegory of Faith Johannes Vermeer (Netherlands) 1674
A Lady Seated at the Virginal Johannes Vermeer (Netherlands) 1675
Theater
Bérénice Jean Racine (France) 1670
The Would-be Gentleman Jean Molière (France) 1670
Iphigenia, Jean Racine (France) 1674
Phèdre Jean Racine (France) 1677
Theory
Ethics, Baruch Spinoza (Netherlands) 1677
1680s
Events
Texts
Music
Theater
Esther Jean Racine (France) 1689
Theory
Principia, Thomas Newton (UK) 1687
1690s
Events
Texts
Music
Theater
Athalie Jean Racine (France) 1689
Theory
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, John Locke (UK) 1690
Two Treatises of Civil Government, John Locke (UK) 1690