The Miniaturist

The Miniaturist opens in 1686, during the Dutch Golden Age. From 1609 to 1713, the Netherlands enjoyed economic and cultural prosperity, becoming one of the most powerful nations in the world.

Dutch affluence was largely created by the country’s relationship with water. Its capital, Amsterdam, was named for a dam built there in the 13th century. In the 17th century, the Dutch again harnessed water’s potential by building a canal network. The canals led to wealth, connecting Amsterdam to the North Sea and, thus, the rest of the world. Ships from the Dutch East India Company (known as the VOC) and the West India Company sailed as far as Africa, Asia, and America, establishing trade with these regions. Dutch merchants returned from their journeys with luxury goods such as spices. They also became enslavers, abducting Africans and trafficking them across the Atlantic or to plantations in Dutch Guiana.

The economic power of the Netherlands led to the establishment of a Dutch Empire, largely in the East Indies. The main source of sugar was the Dutch colony of Surinam (the English spelling changed to Suriname in January 1978). The Netherlands supplied over half of Europe’s sugar during this period and established many sugar refineries in Amsterdam. A luxury item, sugar became a status symbol enjoyed by wealthy households. The richest members of Amsterdam society were merchants and financiers who made their money through international trade. Many lived in mansions along the “Golden Bend” of the Herengracht Canal. The financial power of Dutch merchants often led to political power, as their status allowed them access to the organizations that governed towns and provinces.

The predominant religion of Protestant Calvinism tempered the extravagant prosperity of 17th-century Amsterdam. Hostilely opposed to the “idolatry” of Roman Catholicism, Calvinism emphasized hard work, frugality, and self-discipline. At its root were the concepts of original sin and predestination. Calvinists believed all humans were inherently corrupt due to Eve’s original sin. Therefore, God chose whether individuals were destined for salvation or eternal damnation. The strict morality of Calvinism sat uneasily with Amsterdam’s wealth and colonial ambitions. This contradiction is illustrated in the fact that Calvinist pastors joined Dutch merchant voyages to convert the peoples of the Americas, Africa, and Asia.

The Miniaturist is set toward the end of the Dutch Golden Age, as the nation passed its peak and began a gradual decline in prosperity. Burton conveys the economic context of Amsterdam through the changing fortune of the wealthy merchant Johannes Brandt, who works for the Dutch East India Company. The link between Amsterdam’s wealth and its endorsement of colonialism and slavery is established through Johannes’s rescue of Otto from a slave ship and the key narrative role of Agnes Meermans’s sugar (from her plantation in Surinam).

Nella sums up the contradictions and hypocrisy of Amsterdam when she observes Johannes and his sister are obsessed with “souls and purses” (31). Spirituality and materialism coexist in a claustrophobic atmosphere where citizens closely observe their neighbors for signs of sin. Marin’s fur-lined black dresses illustrate the difficulty in navigating a society that is built on wealth but preaches frugality. The effects of Calvinism’s strict moral codes are also illustrated in the Brandt family’s secrets and the harsh punishment inflicted on Johannes for his sexual orientation.

The author uses images of decay and a rising tide to reflect the consciousness of a prosperous nation facing its decline. The slowly moldering sugar in the warehouse suggests a prosperity that has brought sweet rewards but is past its peak. Meanwhile, Pastor Pellicorne’s sermonizing about a rising tide that may engulf the city is more than just a biblical metaphor for sin. His warnings suggest that while the canals brought the Dutch prosperity, they also have the power to drown the Netherlands.