1634
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
An Old Man Seated at a Table, His Head Resting on His Right Hand (recto) is a 1634 by Ferdinand Bol, a Baroque work, depicting Reading, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see an old man sitting alone at a table, his head propped on his hand. The room is dim, with light streaming in from a window behind him. This quiet moment feels like something Rembrandt would draw—Bol was his student, and you can tell. The way the light touches the man’s face and collar is simple but full of feeling. Bol drew this kind of scene over and over, like he was practicing how to show thought and weariness. To see how Rembrandt handled the same kind of subject, look up chiaroscuro.
Ferdinand Bol was one of the most prominent pupils and followers of Rembrandt van Rijn, for whom drawing played a central role in his workshop practice and teaching. This image of a man within a darkened interior before a window—perhaps a scholar or philosopher—is similar to compositions of saints as well as portraits that Rembrandt made in the 1630s and 1640s. Bol was quite interested in the theme, portraying similar figures in at least two paintings, ten drawings, and four etchings. Like Rembrandt, he employed an expressive but controlled use of ink wash, emphasizing the psychological…
Ferdinand Bol’s subtle and controlled use of ink wash reveals a large trunk on the floor, while retaining bright highlights on the figure, book, and globe on the windowsill.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Ferdinand Bol (24 June 1616 - 24 August 1680) was a Dutch painter, etcher and draftsman.
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