"The realistic character of seventeenth-century Dutch art seems to suggest that artists painted from life, but they often executed their paintings on the basis of preliminary drawings. Accompanying the international loan exhibition Drawings for Paintings in the Age of Rembrandt, this richly illustrated volume demonstrates the important role of drawings in the creative process. Among the drawings discussed are quick compositional sketches, figure studies, and careful construction drawings. Underdrawings on panel and canvas supports are also studied. Such preparatory studies are juxtaposed with their related paintings in the catalog to provide new insights into this important aspect of Dutch art"--