'Spectators van hartstocht. Sekse en emotionele cultuur in de achttiende eeuw', in: Historica 22 (1999) nr. 1, p.6-8 This short essay briefly indicates the purpose, key notions and some conclusions of the author's Ph.D. thesis on gender and emotional culture in the Dutch Republic of the eighteenth century. It is a shortened version of the introduction given by the author during the official public defense of her dissertation.