Dutch Painting, 1600-1800

by Seymour Slive

This lavishly illustrated book is an authoritative and perceptive study of Dutch painting from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries. Seymour Slive focuses on the major artists of the period, analyzing works by Hals, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Jacob van Ruisdael, and others. He discusses the kinds of painting that became Dutch specialties—portraits, genre scenes, landscapes, seascapes, Italianate pictures, architectural painting, and still lifes—as well as traditional biblical and historical subjects painted by artists of the period. He also examines patronage and trends of art theory, criticism, and collecting.

This book replaces the classic section on painting in Dutch Art and Architecture: 1600-1800, jointly written by Slive and Jakob Rosenberg in the 1960s. Slive has completely rewritten and expanded the original text, taking into account his own and other recent scholarship on Dutch painting as well as new archival finds, technical analyses of paintings made by conservators and scientists, and significant pictures that have been discovered. The number of illustrations has doubled, and the result is a book that will immediately establish itself as the new standard work on this great period of painting.

Genres: Art, Art History, History, Nonfiction

392 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1965

Reviews

[Lisa E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this says it covers 1600-1800, there are 300 pages devoted to 1600-1675 and a mere 30 to the remainder of the period. Perhaps it was the assignment/requirement of the publisher since this is part of a series of art history survey texts, but it seems to me if the author has no interest in half of the period supposedly covered, it would have been better to leave that section to a second volume written by another author. It is a common art historical prejudice to prize the Dutch 17th century but I think it gives short shrift to the later period by lumping it on as a perfunctory afterthought. I’ve given it 4 stars for its quality as a thorough resource on 17th century paintings but beware that the coverage of the 18th century is minimal.

[Jose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good and massive book that offers an overview of Dutch painting in the 17th century. It lingers a bit on the main players : Rembrandt, Hals, Vermeer, Jan Steen, Ruysdael, Metsu, Maes, Claestz etc.. but it is divided in genre sections : history, portrait, still life, landscape, architectural and so on. It offers some valid notes on interpretation without ever getting too dogmatic.
Its most notable strength is the listing of artists into their different master's schools and ateliers if known. Painting attribution by masters become difficult sometimes due to the skill of their students but also due to the entreprise setting of ateliers and studios.
Another strength is the abundance of plates in color and B&W of many paintings, about half of them in collections outside the Netherlands as well as historical notes and provenance clues.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read the sections on Rembrandt, Frans Hals, and Vermeer with an eye towards learning about the making of paintings. Slive's survey isn't a wealth of information regarding 17th century painting techniques, but he does offer pointed analyses of key paintings from each painter, as well as discussions about pupils and workshop culture. His analysis of Hals's civic guard paintings are excellent.