Pleasant places

"The variations of pleasure and their expression in Dutch rustic landscapes of the seventeenth century are recurring themes in Walter S. Gibson's new book. Gibson's refreshing interpretation of Dutch landscapes focuses on Haarlem between 1600 and 1635, and his emphasis is on prints, the medium in which the rustic view was first made available to the general art-buying public.". "Gibson's multilayered exploration of the rustic landscape enhances our understanding of the Golden Age in Dutch art, and his evocative language recalls a countryside now largely gone. At the same time, this…