"The Golden Age of Dutch Painting in Historical Perspective is the first survey of the critical fortunes of seventeenth-century Dutch art, from 1700 to the present. Appreciated in the eighteenth century by amateurs and collectors, during the age of Romanticism, Dutch art attracted ideological interest. In the late nineteenth century, it became one of the first objects to be researched in art history. This study provides insight into the various artistic, literary, political, and philosophical approaches that Dutch painting has inspired. It also brings historical context to many issues that are still heatedly debated."--BOOK JACKET.