What belongings did people have at home in the 17th century? At Home in the 17th Century is a new book that opens the door to everyday domestic life and brings the reader closer to the people of the time. It accompanies the exhibition of the same name at the at the Rijksmuseum held from October 2025 to January 2026.
Instead of presenting us with the over-familiar, idealised genre paintings, the book focuses on real life, 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. Several Rijksmuseum curators delved into the world behind the paintings: the residents and the objects that surrounded them. What people left behind – furniture and utensils and even cesspool finds – 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 home into a world that is sometimes surprisingly recognisable, but often radically different as well.
Nai010 Publishers, 392pp, 15cm x 19cm, illustrated paperback, English text
