This interpretive study of the artistic culture of the Dutch Republic in the 17th century describes the art of the period as it was experienced by the people of the period and how it appears to us today. The book investigates the 17th-century Dutch art market, the themes of Dutch art and the parallels between the art and the history of the Dutch Republic. In addition, the works of the Dutch masters are examined in their political, economic, religious, scientific and domestic contexts.