During the 17^th century the Dutch Republic developed into an economic and maritime power in Europe, with a flourishing art market. The genre paintings of Dutch 17^th century painting evolved in this context, spanning diverse subjects such as landscape, still life, group portraiture, the merry company, drinkers and peasants. This course will examine the different genres and their relation to social perceptions and political questions of Dutch 17^th century society. We will explore the different genres, as well as the artists specializing in these genres. Among the artists whose work we will consider are Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals and Jan Steen, as well as less-known painters of the time. We will also discuss the theoretical question regarding the interpretation of these paintings as “objective” descriptions of reality as opposed to constructors of meaning.