(I) Between 1540 and 1660, Europe was racked by a combination of religious wars, political rebellions, and economic crises. (II) Hence, confidence in traditional structures of social, religious, and political authority was undermined. (III) The result was fear, scepticism, and a search for new, more certain foundations on which to rebuild the social, political, and religious order of Europe. (IV) However, for artists and intellectuals, the period proved to be one of the most creative epochs in the history of Europe. (V) Like Shakespeare, Rembrandt knew that life's journey is full of perils, but his most mature paintings suggest that these can be mastered with a courageous awareness of one's human shortcomings.