Looking at seventeenth-century Dutch art : realism reconsidered /

Franits has collected essays written by 14 prominent scholars of Netherlandish art and iconology, all exploring issues related to how Dutch painting was interpreted in the 17th century. Beginning with Erwin Panofsky's initial definition of "disguised symbolism," many scholars now argue that these paintings offer a beautiful, realistic rendering of nature that could sometimes act as a framework for subtle didactic or moralizing messages. Although 17th-century emblem books and art theory discuss hidden meaning in art, contemporary descriptions of these paintings repeatedly focus on the enjoyment of their realism. Thus, a new generation of scholars has recently reexamined Panofsky's theory of interpretation, questioning whether this economically and intellectually diverse 17th-century audience was even cognizant of all the symbols seemingly embedded in paintings. These essays explore a broad variety of new ideas--e.g., a closer examination of historical context and primary documentation, and a reassessment of style. As a group, they are well related and offer an excellent example of the process of discovery in art history, from the initial formation of an idea and its critical examination to its revision into an exciting variety of new interpretations. Upper-division undergraduate; graduate; faculty. A. L. Palmer; University of Oklahoma