"The seventeenth century in the Northern Netherlands was a period that saw the widespread 'domestication' of easel pictures, when paintings were acquired in significant numbers by a broad cross-section of society as a means of decorating the home. This is the first extended study to look at the role and function of paintings and other works of art in Dutch homes of the seventeenth century. In what numbers were paintings dispersed throughout the various rooms of the house? Were certain subjects regarded as more appropriate than others for display in a particular room? In what arrangements were paintings hung on the walls and how did this affect the way in which they were apprehended? A wide range of contemporary sources are drawn upon, including estate inventories and other archival material, published texts on art, architecture and social manners, and images of the domestic interior. In one chapter a close analysis is made of a small number of individual inventories, which are fully transcribed in the appendices, investigating the motivations that lie behind the display of works of art and their relationship to other furnishings."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved