Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The period from 1400 to 1600 was a fascinating one in Netherlandish art and history, encompassing the late Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Iconoclasm, the Dutch Revolt, and the northern cities' conversion to the Protestant faith, which put an end to the previously close ties between north and south. This handsome book presents an overview of the period by means of a selection of one hundred works of art in different media taken from the unparalleled collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Eminent authorities place these works in their historical context and discuss their origins, significance, and distinguishing features. The result is an authoritative history of fifteenth and sixteenth-century Netherlandish art.

The book is arranged chronologically in three sections, each opening with a brief introduction that sketches the historical and art-historical outlines of the period and each including reproductions and discussions of the works of art. In addition, longer essays in the beginning of the book,address such issues as how the function and meaning of works of art change when they become part of a museum; how the picture of Netherlandish art presented by the Rijksmuseum has evolved over the two centuries of its existence; how the works of art came into being; and how and for whom they were made and traded. Although the book focuses on works from the Rijksmuseum, it includes illustrations of key works from other sources as well.

This book is the first in a four-part series about Dutch art that will be invaluable for visitors to the Rijksmuseum and for art lovers everywhere.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

This informative book is the first in a four-volume set being created by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam as both a history of art and a tour of the museum in book form. Wide-ranging works, including paintings, prints, sculptures, household furnishings, and ceremonial objects, are presented in a chronological arrangement of lovely color photographs that mimics the layout of the galleries. Carefully researched discussions by Rijksmuseum curators relate each item to the political and cultural history that influenced its creation and preservation. Other sections of the book are devoted to the history of the Rijksmuseum and to the materials and manufacture of the works presented. The result is an engaging volume of scholarship that will be of value to readers in academic, specialized, and large public libraries.ÄKathryn Wekselman, MLn., Cincinnati (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.