Dutch painting in its prime is one of the great achievements in the history of art. Painters described their life and their environment, their country and their city sights so thoroughly that their work seems to provide a nearly complete pictorial record of Dutch culture. This book explores all the aspects of a truly creative period when sureness of instinct and quality of performance held a safe balance. The work of the great masters - including...

"The 550 reproductions are just plain magnificent."--The New Orleans Picayune. Updated Lippmann, Hofstede de Groot edition, with definitive scholarly apparatus. All portraits, biblical sketches, landscapes, nudes, Oriental figures, classical studies, together with selection of work by followers.