Famous Dutch artists include Rembrandt, Vincent Van Gogh, and Piet Mondrian. Learn more about one of these artists and his influence on other artists.

Because of the impact of his work on the Dutch resistance movement, de Hartog went into hiding during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. Anne Frank was among the many Jews who went into hiding to avoid Nazi persecution, and who eventually perished in the Holocaust. Learn more about Nazi persecution of Jews in the Netherlands during World War II.

De Hartog was born in the Netherlands, where he lived during the Nazi occupation of World War II. One of his early novels became a symbol of the Dutch resistance movement and was soon banned. Learn more about the Netherlands during World War II. What were the events and conditions of the Nazi occupation? What was the Dutch resistance movement?

De Hartog's religion is Quaker. What are the central beliefs of the Quakers? What is the history of the Quakers?

One of the characters in de Hartog's play makes reference to the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. Who was Schopenhauer? What were the basic tenets of his philosophy? In what ways has he influenced Western thought and culture?