At Home in the 17th Century

The tangible world behind the paintings: a fresh look at the 17th century through the real objects of everyday life

Published with Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.

What household belongings did people own in the 17th century? At Home in the 17th Century opens the door to everyday domestic life and brings the reader closer to the people of the time--from everyday objects such as combs and brooms used for personal care and household chores, to wedding rings and christening gifts that marked important life events. Instead of familiar idealized genre paintings, this book focuses on real life. Accompanying the eponymous exhibition at the Rijksmuseum, this book, designed by Irma Boom, includes commentary from several of the museum's curators delving into the world behind the paintings: the residents and the objects that surrounded them. What people left behind--furniture, utensils and even pottery fragments found in cesspools--gives a picture of how they furnished and used their homes. The result is an intimate look behind the front door of the 17th century--into a world that is sometimes surprisingly recognizable, but often radically different as well.