The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh is currently home to fascinating exhibition, Masters of the Everyday: Dutch Artists in the Age of Vermeer, which, according to its curator, Desmond Shawe-Taylor, is one everyone should see because it really does offer something to entertain all.
To accompany the exhibition Desmond has written a fascinating book which takes readers on an amusing trip back in time, and tells the stories behind the paintings, all of which, bar one, belong to The Queen, who it’s understood, is keen for as many people as possible to see them and enjoy a laugh or two.
The book is packed with wonderful, large photographs of the paintings, and full of fascinating details about the artists themselves, the period the work was created, the people in the paintings and the often secret messages contained within them.
This is much more than a coffee table book, it’s one I found hard to put down because, even centuries on, the paintings have a hypnotic quality that makes you simply want to stare at them.
Dutch artists of that period were not only renowned for their captivating depiction of space and light, but also included humorous or moralising messages in their work for the contemporary viewer to decode. Desmond has done all the hard work and decoded these messages for readers.
The exhibition is on display at The Queen’s Gallery within Holyrood Palace until July 24, 2016, and comprises 28 outstanding works by some of the finest artists of the 17th and 18th centuries. If you can’t make it along, this book is the next best thing, but if you can, it’s also a
fabulous guide.
Published by the Royal Collection Trust
