The painter Jacob Duck (c.1600-1667) was active mainly in Utrecht, and his rise to success and recognition paralleled the phenomenon known as the Dutch Golden Age. His style of painting is a unique blend of the humor and eroticism found in the works of the Utrecht Caravaggisti with that of the Haarlem painters of Merry Company scenes. He painted mainly genre themes and was a central contributor to the rise and assimilation of both the Guardroom and the Brothel Scene. His paintings are striking due to their high level of theatricality, humor and sexual innuendo, traits he bestowed upon the following generation of Dutch genre painting. This book is the first ever monograph study of Jacob Duck and includes a complete critical catalogue of all his known works of art.--Page 4 of cover.