Historians and art historians provide a critique of existing methodologies and an interdisciplinary inquiry into seventeenth-century Dutch art and culture.

A CHARMING PURSUIT OF HEARTS AND FLOWERS What a maddening, impossible man Constantijn van Lindemann is! Wherever Augusta goes, there he is—inviting her out, paying her compliments, sending her enormous bouquets of tulips, even kissing her on occasion. Augusta must admit she does enjoy it, especially the kisses. But until she discovers how important a role the glamorous Susan plays in Constantijn’s life, how can she possibly take him seriously?

What are the most salient and sparking facts about the Netherlands? This updated edition of 'Discovering the Dutch' tackles the heart of the question of Dutch identity through a number of essential themes that span the culture, history and society of the Netherlands. Running the gamut from the Randstad to the Dutch Golden Age, from William of Orange to Anne Frank, this volume uses a series of vignettes written by academic experts in their fields to address historical and contemporary topics such as immigration, tolerance, and the struggle against water, as well as issues of culture - painting, literature, architecture, and design among them. All chapters are written by academic experts in their fields who have extensive experience in explaining the many features of "Dutchness" to a foreign audience. Each chapter comes to life in vignettes that illustrate characteristic historical figures or essential aspects in Dutch culture and society from William of Orange and Anne Frank to Dutch cheese and the inevitable coffeeshop.