A publication about the 100 finest and most important objects included in the 1800-1900 art and historical collection of the Rijksmuseum. From Jan Willem Pieneman's huge painting 'The Battle of Waterloo' to Vincent van Gogh's self-portrait; from the piano once owned by Louis Napoleon to the most beautiful art nouveau vases; from the most famous The Hague School and Breitner paintings to the exuberant applied art once displayed at world exhibitions. Each of the 100 objects is accompanied by a detailed explanation of its origin, history and function. Covering the Napoleonic Wars, Belgian independence, colonial politics in the Dutch East Indies and the Industrial Revolution, the introduction describes the political and economic history of the Netherlands between 1800 and 1900. In addition, developments in the world of art and the life of the artists receive attention as well as the role of the Netherlands as an attractive stopping place for famous painters such as Claude Monet, James Abbott McNeill Whistler and Max Liebermann.