Golden accompanies the first major exhibition in the United States of one of the finest private collections of 17th-century Dutch and Flemish paintings in the world, assembled over the past two decades by Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo. In this beautifully illustrated book, works by Rembrandt, Jacob van Ruisdael, Frans Hals, and Jan Brueghel the Elder, among others, represent a wide range of subjects such as land and water, cityscapes and landmarks, still lifes, foreign travels, and burghers, peasants, and painters. In addition, fine examples of furniture and decorative arts shed light on the astounding range of this artistic period.

Known as the Golden Age, the 17th century was a time of unparalleled prosperity in the Netherlands, where the emerging merchant class eagerly commissioned and collected paintings, furniture, and other decorative arts. Essays by leading scholars address the context of 17th-century Dutch and Flemish painting, and the history and development of this unparalleled collection. The quality and breadth of the Van Otterloos' holdings illuminate one of the greatest artistic and cultural chapters in European history.