Review by Choice Review
Although the Golden Age in the Netherlands spans the 17th century, its foremost painters have generally been considered Gerard Dou, Rembrandt, Jan Steen, Johannes Vermeer, and a handful of others, who flourished around mid-century. This circumstance left a rich trove of highly skilled and inventive artists less known and studied. Particularly ignored are those of the decades around 1700, who strove amid difficult economic conditions to forge their identities while recognizing their illustrious predecessors. This groundbreaking study examines the market forces, cultural values, and historical self-consciousness of painters who reconciled their own artistic identities and production with respect to the genre tradition. This involved rendering scenes supposedly of daily life, often crafted in a highly refined style. Even as these artists reprised the themes of an earlier generation, they recast favored subjects involving music making, food, and family to please an elite class of wealthy connoisseurs. As themes from history and poetry became less popular, figures in the genre paintings became ever more elegant and idealized. This beautifully produced volume fills a gap in Dutch visual and cultural studies. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers, upper-division undergraduate students, graduate students, and above. --Amy Golahny, Lycoming College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
