In the 17th century, amateur musicians typically played more than one instrument. The rise of amateur musicmaking stimulated the flourishing of a remarkable music market in Dutch society of the time. Many musical instrument makers were active in the country, particularly in Amsterdam. They crafted valuable wind and string instruments, including flutes, oboes, viols, and violins.
![[Der blinde Geiger; The Blind Fiddler; Aveugle jouant du violon], Rembrandt, 1631](https://diglib.hab.de/varia/haum/rembrandt-ab3-0170/max/000001.jpg)
