At Home in the 17th Century
Sara van Dijk, Femke Diercks, Maartje Brattinga, Alexander Dencher, Suzanne van Leeuwen, Marijn Stolk
Rijksmuseum & Nai010 Publishers, 2025
€34,95
The tangible world behind the paintings, featuring real everyday objects.
What items did you have in your home in the 17th century? At Home in the 17th Century opens the door to daily life indoors and brings the reader closer to the people of that time. From everyday objects like combs or brooms for personal care and housework to wedding rings and baptismal gifts commemorating important moments.
Instead of familiar, idealized genre paintings, this book focuses on real life. Several curators from the Rijksmuseum delved into the world behind the paintings: the residents and the belongings that surrounded them. What people left behind—from furniture and utensils to even finds from the cesspool—gives a glimpse into how they furnished and used their homes. The result is an intimate glimpse behind the front door of the 17th century—into a world that is sometimes surprisingly familiar, but often radically different. To be published in conjunction with the exhibition At Home in the 17th Century at the Rijksmuseum (October 17, 2025 – January 11, 2026) IN DUTCH, AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH UPON REQUEST!
ISBN: 9789462089495
