The Kunsthal presents a totally new perspective on seventeenth century painting with the exhibition ‘At home in the Golden Age'.
Over 160 paintings from the extensive collection SØR Rusche show that the seventeenth century art business was enormously productive. All sorts of paintings from the Golden Age are dealt with: portraits, landscapes, still lives, historical paintings and genre paintings.
The exhibition contains small masterpieces that at the time were ranked among the top section of the seventeenth century art market, such as landscapes by Cornelis Poelenburgh, portraits by Nicolaas Maes and paintings by David Teniers.
A new perspective on the Golden Age
This exhibition sheds a new light on the hey-day of Dutch Painting with work of masters that were famous and much sought after at the time, yet who have somehow sunk into oblivion.
Many painters were commissioned to paint by a group of buyers from the petty bourgeoisie, the same social class these painters themselves belonged to. Highly productive as they were, these masters were able to earn themselves a good living.
Paintings that are nowadays regarded as unique artworks used to adorn the workplaces of craftsmen and the houses of merchants and other rich people. ‘At home in the Golden Age' deals with the realization of a painting, trade in paintings and the meaning of art in general in the seventeenth century.
On display are the beloved genres and favorite themes from those days, from delightful tableaux to admonishing representations, from sober landscapes to stately portraits.
Publication
Marten Jan Bok, Martine Gosselink, Marina Aarts (a.o), ‘At home in the Golden Age', Waanders publishing house
(ISBN 9789040085048), € 24,95 paperback edition, only in Dutch or (ISBN 9789040085056), € 39,95 hardback edition, only in English.
