The Dutch Women

"The experience of a person today who views paintings by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and other Dutch Old Masters differs radically from the experience of the Dutch man or woman who may have seen the same paintings three centuries ago. This book focuses on the way in which paintings were displayed and comprehended in seventeenth-century Holland. It offers many unexpected insights into life in the Dutch Golden Age as well as new ways of interpreting the paintings of this period." "Klaske Muizelaar and Derek Phillips closely examine who owned and who viewed paintings, where they were displayed, how accurately paintings portrayed their subjects, what functions paintings served, and how they reflected and influenced the lives of Dutch people of the time. Three centuries ago, museums did not exist and few paintings hung in the churches or public buildings of Holland. Most paintings adorned the homes of the wealthy. The authors consider the composition and development of Dutch society, particularly in Amsterdam, then examine life in affluent Dutch homes.

Synopsis from Open Library.