The catalogue of an exhibition of one hundred Dutch paintings held in the Vancouver Art Gallery from April 6 to June 29, 1986. Organized by the Netherlands Office for Fine Arts (Rijksdienst Beeldende Kunst).
The Dutch world of painting seen against the fascinating background of the society of which it was an integral part. The fully illustrated catalogue is divided into nine sections:
The art world
Government
Religion
Charity
Craft and commerce
Deeds of glory, acts of God
Scholarship, science and medicine
Town and country
The invisible world
Each section is accompanied by an essay on the nature and relative importance of the ties between a specific area of society and the world of painting. The works were chosen not only for their quality and thematic relevance, but also, wherever possible, for the links they illustrate between the painter and his subject or patron. The entries are rich with information concerning the cultural and historical background of the works exhibited.