Soldiers at Leisure

Among the rich varieties of genre painting, long recognized as one of the most characteristic and original contributions of the seventeenth-century Dutch school of painting, is a highly entertaining but often overlooked series depicting rowdy, off-duty mercenaries. This hugely successful genre portrayed soldiers as they played cards, drank, rested, and frolicked with dubious women. Here Jochai Rosen defines the characteristics and development of this formula, setting it against the prevailing art and culture of the time.

For art history students and scholars, this book grants a unique opportunity to trace the development of a fascinating Dutch genre theme, from its humble beginning in 1620s Amsterdam through its ascent to a nineteenth-century cultural phenomenon.