lian Baroque art was primarily commissioned by the Catholic Church. Naturally, the church's influence meant that Baroque art from Italy almost always had religion as its subject matter. In contrast, by the 1600s, most people in the Netherlands were Protestant. Instead of the church, artists relied on nobles, wealthy merchants and other patrons for commissions. Dutch Baroque art is primarily secular, often consisting of portraits of people going about their day-to-day activities.
