(I) Life in Europe in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries was largely shaped by the combined effects of war, trade, and a steadily growing population. (II) Especially the practice of free trade led to the establishment of overseas colonies and opened up new markets for European industry. (III) Additionally, agricultural productivity increased, making it possible for Europe to feed a population that had now reached unprecedented levels. (IV) The dominant artistic school of southern Europe from about 1600 until the early 1700s was that of the Baroque, a school not only of painting but of sculpture and architecture. (V) Moreover, population growth in turn enabled European governments to wage more frequent wars and employ larger and larger armies.