At Home in the 17th century - When Dutch life spans the centuries

On display at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam until 11 January 2026, the exhibition At Home in the 17th Century traces the lives of Dutch families in the 1600s. Travelling from dawn to dusk, the exhibition immerses visitors in these past ways of life. As distant as they may seem, these lives shaped our roots and encourage us to reflect on our current society.

Vermeer, Frans Hals, Rembrandt... so many names from the 17th century that are as well-known as they are universal, but what about their families? Those who, like us, grew up and evolved, leaving traces of their passage? Located in the heart of Amsterdam, the Rijksmuseum is hosting an exhibition called At Home in the 17th Century. Celebrating family and domestic life in the 1600s, all social classes are represented. Women, children, workers and servants: the exhibition immerses visitors in their daily lives, from dawn to dusk.

Combining artificial settings and 17th-century masterpieces, visitors get a close-up look at these lifestyles from times gone by. They can wander among Petronella Oortman's dollhouses, gilded wooden furniture and paintings by Utrecht painter Joachim Wtewael. All these original and unique works are the result of the work of numerous curators. Coming from the textile, tableware, glass and decorative arts departments, they have all worked to faithfully recreate these past lives, far from the distorted representations of our imagination and the vestiges of painting.

A distorted representation

‘We didn't want museum pieces,’ emphasises Sara van Dijk, exhibition curator for the textiles department. Thanks to the involvement of artist and scenographer Steef de Jong in designing the cardboard sets featured in the exhibition, the aim is to showcase these forgotten objects as they were. ‘Dutch interiors have mainly been studied through paintings, but these provide an idealised image. It's a kind of 17th-century Instagram,’ explains Sara van Dijk. As part of the Rijksmuseum's permanent collections, the exhibition aims to give a new perspective on traditional representations of this century.

By tracing the journey of these families from different social classes throughout the day, a faithful and objective portrayal of life in the 1600s has been created. Far from gilded frames and embellished lighting, the exhibition aims to show the realities of that time in their true nature.
"When you put an object in a display case, it immediately becomes a museum piece and feels distant... But for this exhibition, we wanted to transform the objects into things you own, things you have in your home," says Sara van Dijk. This exposure is not without purpose. By creating a faithful and universal setting, the exhibition At Home in the 17th Century also provides a space for reflection on our current societies.

A bridge between our eras

Although the history of these families may seem distant and sometimes obsolete, some of their practices, customs and rituals encourage us to view our world in a different light. Far removed from the new technologies and customs of today's society, the exhibition At Home in the 17th Century highlights the parallels between our two eras. While some aspects are no longer relevant, other themes are very much in vogue.

Sara van Dijk, curator of the exhibition, shares her thoughts on textiles, which are now widely criticised due to their devastating environmental impact. "(...) One of the things that struck me when we were working on this exhibition was how carefully people looked after their textiles. Nowadays, we live in a fast fashion society. We throw away our clothes and textiles easily, whereas in the 17th century, they were very expensive and were looked after," she explains. In a world of consumption that is as fleeting as it is devastating, perhaps we should not neglect to highlight past lifestyles. ‘I think that's something we can take away from this exhibition. We can take more care of objects like this,’ concludes Sara van Dijk.

Combining reflections on our contemporary societies with an authentic journey through time, the exhibition At Home in the 17th Century is on display until 11 January 2026 at the Rijksmuseum.

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