Holland in the 17th century presented artists with the most man-made landscape in Europe, and one which still exerts a fascination on our imaginations today. The human narrative within the painted landscape ranged from the depiction of peasants working and relaxing in the tradition of Bruegel to an evocation of aristocratic estates, where noblemen hunted and rode. At the same time other Dutch artists were discovering in Italy a range of different subject-matter: the idealised Arcadian landscape, the vitality of the Roman streetscape, or the hot, ruin-covered mountains of the Roman campagna. Finally there was the sea, which played such a vital role in the Dutch mentality, and which was used to suggest the drama of the nation’s life and history.
100 colour illustrations