Amsterdam, 1662

December 1662. Rembrandt destroys with scissors his last painting, the “Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis”. Some months earlier the burgomaster of the city asked him to paint this monumental work of art in order to decorate the new town hall. The order was an unexpected oportunity for Rembrandt to regain his lost glory. But the burgomaster becomes upset and under false pretenses refuses to accept the painting. Rembrandt realizes the great gap that seperated his sense of art from his fellow countrymen and decides to follow more radical paths.
Christian Huygens observes planet Saturn and discovers his rings. Jan Swammerdam reverses the telescope Huygens uses for his astronomical observations and reveals a new tiny world. Spinoza develops his philosophic system, a remarkable novelty that will change the world.
Amsterdam was then, the most powerful merchant city of the occidental world. Its fabulous riches cause exasperation to the neighboring countries, France and England who wonder how such a small country could attain such a great prosperity, an exasperation which will later lead to war conflict. Amsterdam was ceaselessly flooded with crowds of immigrants, workers, sailors, craftsmen and merchants who wanted to escape from wars and religious persecutions, plagues of the XVIIth century.