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Verhalen uit kamer, keuken en kroeg
Het Hollandse genre van de 17e eeuw als vertellende schilderkunst
by de Vries, Lyckle
'Reading' painting depicting home life? Try it! Beware of some pitfalls. What is the artist pointing at through often overlooked details of homelife in earlier centuries on their canvases? This book examines about eighty full-colour paintings of thirty artists such as Frans Hals, Johannes Vermeer and Jan Steen. It focuses on life in living rooms, kitchens and bars and involves its readers in the fun and pleasures seen and portrayed by these Dutch masters. The author argues against the idea that those artists were the photographers of their day, suggesting that filmmakers who want to entertain their audiences is a better comparison. A painting needed to capture attention and to amuse, and therefore tended to stereotype, exaggerate, poke fun and even ridicule, hence the portrayal of fictitious womanizers, flirting women, careless parents and brawlers so that the viewers could feel themselves morally superior. Upper class groups, farmers and vagabonds also receive attention. Easy-to-read, the book takes a thematic approach and opens this genre of art to a wider public, undoubtedly heightening the sense of art appreciation when attending future exhibits. Anyone interested in family history and genealogy will find this book very helpful, exaggeration notwithstanding. Other painters include: D. Hals, van Honthorst, Rembrandt, Dou, Terborch, de Hooch, van Mieris and Maes.
Paperback, 207 pages, illustrated with 80 full colour paintings, notes, bibliography, index, list of painters with details on painting, Dutch language, special import,
USD 18.95 / CAD 24.95