The exhibition "At Home in the 17th Century" zooms in on something we often forget: ordinary life. While paintings from the Golden Age usually show wealth and stateliness, this exhibition revolves around the living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms of ordinary Dutch people.
A day in the life in the time of Rembrandt, Frans Hals and Vermeer
You walk through a setting that almost feels like you're taking a time travel. Think of a bedstead, simple kitchen utensils, but also richly decorated interiors of the wealthy. The strength of the exhibition lies in the mix: there is an eye for the differences between rich and poor, city and countryside, man and woman. It makes the image of the 17th century human and tangible.
In addition to furniture and utensils, there are paintings by masters who captured everyday life. Genre pieces by Pieter de Hooch or Gerard ter Borch, for example, give context to how people ate, worked and relaxed together. You see tables set with bread, beer and cheese, but also the subtlety of clothing and posture that expresses social status.
"This exhibition brings the 17th century to your own living room - recognizable, intimate and surprisingly current."
What makes the exhibition extra appealing is that it also links to today. How many of these habits do we still recognize in our own homes? Think about dining together, the importance of privacy or the layout of a living room. It is surprising how close the 17th century suddenly comes.
For families, this is an accessible way to experience history; for lovers of art and culture, a chance to see familiar paintings in a new context. And for everyone, this is one of those exhibitions where you don't just look, but start thinking about your own lifestyle and how culture is shaped by everyday surroundings.