Het Nederlandse Stilleven

Still-life painting from The Netherlands pays tribute to the Dutch still life painters from the late 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries. It is, however, not an art-historical treatise on the rise, blooming and fall of the genre. In focussing on the very best of still lifes, and in dealing with the great variety within the fields, it is no less than a feast for the eye and a celebration of the great Masters. This book deals with the delimitations of the genre and on the possibilities to interpret still lifes; the still life as a specialism and on the manner in which the specialised artist utilises his talent; the sense of reality in still lifes; the trompe l'oeil and the value attached to still lifes; patrons and the art market and on the contemporary use of still lifes: the acclaim for the still life, which once occupied a bottom position in the hierarchy of the genres and subsequently became differently appreciated. This book is a perfect introduction to this genre which is nowadays highly popular.