The Erotics of Looking: Early Modern Netherlandish Artpresents a collection of provocative essays that explore thematerial qualities of early Dutch art to reveal ways new forms ofvisual imagery solicit a beholder?s involvement. Explores how descriptive pictures during the early modern Dutchart period operated as social things and were designed topleasurably engage the eye and prompt discussion and debate Shows how these works potentially raised ethical and politicalquestions about the interconnectedness of engaging with picturesand the material world Represents a major contribution to the field of early modernNetherlandish art and to general debates about the status andfunctions of descriptive art Features essays addressing a variety of aspects of the field,from the historiography of Dutch art to closely attentive readingsof particular works Crafts an original theoretical framework by applying recentinsights about the making of early modern publics and the study ofmaterial things to the analysis of Netherlandish art