The National Gallery, London, is home to a world-renowned collection of Dutch paintings that includes masterpieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals, Cuyp, and Ruisdael, among many others. Still lifes painted with painstaking attention to detail, sublime landscapes, vividly human portraits, and intimate interiors: these beloved paintings tell the story of the Dutch Golden Age, when art, science, and trade thrived. Now the National Gallery\'s popular 2007 guide to the collection has been revised, featuring an elegant new design and an extended introduction that examines why painting flourished in the 17th-century Dutch Republic, and why it is so enduringly popular today. Striking image details enhance the book and updated, informative texts accompany each work of art. Accessible and illuminating, this guide is essential reading for anyone with an interest in Dutch painting.