Dutch Art & Vermeer: Just as merchant wealth fuelled the Renaissance in northern Italy in the 1300s, so too did global trade fuel art and culture in the Netherlands during the 1600s. Merchants were eager to commemorate their newfound wealth and power as well as demonstrate their global connections in art, resulting in a burst of artistic expression. Among the most famous Dutch artists of this era was Johannes Vermeer, whose paintings are often used to represent the global power of the Netherlands during this time. write a one to two Main Idea: