Customer Reviews

The Art of Describing: Dutch Art in the Seventeenth Century

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Alpers' brilliant 1984 study teaches us how Dutch artists of the seventeenth century "saw" in contrast with with their Italian counterparts. Already one of the most frequently cited books on Dutch art, this ground-breaking work should be read by anyone with an interest in visual representation.

An analysis of the 17th century Dutch preoccupation with vision, the discovery and use of the microscope, lenses, optical devises, the study of the retina and how we see, new ideas of perspective and a discussion of the work of noted scholars of the day, as Keppler and Huygens. A fascinating discussion of Vermeer painting exactly what he saw while Rembrandt painting "the invisible human depths." A very fine study designed to help us think and see.

While not for those looking for a coffee table book (or a list of catalogue entries with glossy photos), this work remains interesting and creative. Alpers is one of those scholars interested in the "period eye," studying epistimological habits and visual strategies in 17th C. Netherlands. She covers issues thematically, with chapters dedicated to issues surrounding cartography, optical devices, etc. A nice work.

I thought that Alpers did a good job of explaining the motivation behind 17th century dutch art without being too boring. I'm more of a modernist, so this period tends not to fascinate me.

-Matt

the author took a fascinating topic and destroyed it by writing in a convoluted, unintelligible fashion--a lot of artistic claptrap, unfortunately--it's like witnessing a stream of consciousness acid trip at the Rikjsmuseum