Who painted A Woman combing a Boy's Hair?

A Woman combing a Boy's Hair was painted by Gerrit Dou in 1646-01-01.

Where can I see A Woman combing a Boy's Hair?

A Woman combing a Boy's Hair is held by Alte Pinakothek.

What movement is A Woman combing a Boy's Hair?

A Woman combing a Boy's Hair is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

Can I buy a print of A Woman combing a Boy's Hair?

Museum-quality prints of A Woman combing a Boy's Hair are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

A Woman combing a Boy's Hair

Gerrit Dou , 1646

A Woman combing a Boy's Hair is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Gerrit Dou. It dates from 1646 and is held in the collection of the Alte Pinakothek.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

This focus on a mundane, hygienic task reflects the artist's characteristic attention to detailed, everyday activities within the household.

Gerrit Dou's 1646 painting depicts a domestic scene featuring a woman and a boy, categorized as a genre work. Beyond the surface narrative of personal grooming, the composition specifically illustrates the treatment of human head lice. This focus on a mundane, hygienic task reflects the artist's characteristic attention to detailed, everyday activities within the household.

The work transforms a common caretaking practice into a subject for fine art, emphasizing the quiet intimacy and specific realities of 17th-century domestic life.

Technique & Style

Executed in 1646, this genre scene by Gerrit Dou is an oil painting created on a panel support. The work measures 36 cm in height and 30 cm in width. Visually, the composition depicts a woman attending to a boy, specifically illustrating the treatment of human head lice. The piece is classified as a painting within the genre art tradition.

History & Provenance

A Woman combing a Boy's Hair was created by Gerrit Dou in 1646, executed in oil paint on panel. The painting was owned by Daniël George van Beuningen and is held in the collection of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, according to its Wikidata record, which also associates it with the Alte Pinakothek. The sources do not provide further details on commission, intermediate ownership, or acquisition history. No specific inventory or accession number is provided, and no exhibition history is documented.

Overview

Gerrit Dou’s oil painting A Woman combing a Boy’s Hair (1646) presents an intimate domestic moment rendered on a modestly sized panel. Executed in the refined manner of the Leiden fijnschilders, the work captures a quiet interior where a woman attentively tends to a child’s hair, likely addressing a minor ailment.

Context

Created during a period when Dutch genre painting focused on domestic virtue and the observation of daily life, the work exemplifies the Leiden school's interest in intimate, narrative scenes. Dou’s meticulous rendering aligns with contemporary tastes for moralizing yet realistic depictions of household tasks.

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Artist & collection

Artist

Gerrit Dou

Gerrit Dou (pronounced; 7 April 1613 – 9 February 1675), also known as Gerard Douw or Dow, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, whose small, highly polished paintings are typical of the Leiden fijnschilders.