The Schouburg is listed as one of the thousand most important works in the Canon of Dutch Literature [nl] from the Middle Ages to the present day.

Cornelis de Bie published his Het Gulden Cabinet in 1662, André Félibien published his Entretiens sur les vies et sur les ouvrages des plus excellents peintres anciens et modernes in 1666, and these were followed by Jacob von Sandrart's illustrated Teutsche Akademie in 1668.

Houbraken referenced Inleyding tot de Hooge Schoole der Schilderkonst, 1678, published by his teacher Samuel van Hoogstraten for students of art.

While leaning heavily on the sources already mentioned, Houbraken is reported to have consulted local history books from various cities in the Netherlands.

The exact state of his book at the time of his death is unknown: his son Jacob, his daughter Antonina, and his wife all helped to patch things up for publication, and it is quite possible that their own opinions slipped into the finished work.

[citation needed] In general, Houbraken tends to follow the contemporary prejudices of the hierarchy of genres and undervalues landscapists, marine artists and painters of still life.

Media related to Schouburg I at Wikimedia Commons The engraved portraits included as illustrations in Volume II are below, followed by the artists listed in order of appearance in the text.

Media related to Schouburg II at Wikimedia Commons The engraved portraits included as illustrations in Volume III are below, followed by the artists listed in order of appearance in the text.

Media related to Schouburg III at Wikimedia Commons Sandrart, meld ook in dien tyd van eenen Engelsman GELSDORF genaamt, die veel pourtretten in Engeland heeft gemaakt.