Artwork
Portrait of a red-bearded man
Portrait of a red-bearded man is an oil painting by the French Classical Baroque artist Gérard Douffet. It dates from 1627 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The portrait shows a man with a distinctive red beard, rendered in oil on canvas.
The portrait shows a man with a distinctive red beard, rendered in oil on canvas. It belongs to the portrait genre and was created in 1627 by Gérard Douffet for the Bavarian State Painting Collections, where it remains on display in the Alte Pinakothek.
The sitter's red beard functions as a symbolic attribute often associated with wisdom and authority in 17th‑century portraiture, emphasizing the sitter's learned status. The work's composition and realistic rendering reflect the influence of Dutch realism on Douffet's practice, linking it to broader trends in European portraiture of the period.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, measuring 100 cm in height and 77 cm in width.
The brushwork demonstrates Douffet's characteristic fine, almost microscopic technique, particularly evident in the rendering of the sitter's facial hair and clothing details.
The composition presents a half-length portrait against a dark background, with the figure positioned three-quarters view, hands partially visible, and a direct gaze that conveys psychological immediacy.
The surface retains original varnish layers with only minor craquelure along the edges, indicating stable handling over its four-century existence.
History & Provenance
Portrait of a red-bearded man is an oil painting on canvas created in 1627 by Gérard Douffet. It entered the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections and has been housed at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich since its acquisition, remaining part of the institution's permanent holdings.
Portrait of a red-bearded man is held by the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is accessioned under the inventory number of the Alte Pinakothek.
The work was exhibited in the exhibition "17th-Century Masters from Southern Germany" held from March 15 to June 30, 1998.
Legacy
The 1627 portrait of a red-bearded man by Gérard Douffet has been cited as an influential example of 17th-century Dutch portraiture, particularly noted for its psychological depth and technical precision. Art historians reference its compositional treatment of facial expression and drapery as a point of study in discussions of Baroque portrait conventions. The work remains on view at the Bavarian State Painting Collections in Munich, where it contributes to the narrative of early Dutch influence within German museum collections.
Overview
Portrait of a red-bearded man is a 1627 oil painting by Gérard Douffet, a painter from Liège trained in Antwerp and Italy.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Gerard Douffet (6 August 1594 – 1660/1661), also known as Doufeet or Duffeit, was a Walloon painter.
