Artwork
Johan Wittert van der Aa (1604-70)
Johan Wittert van der Aa (1604-70) is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Gerrit Dou. It dates from 1646 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
Executed in 1646, this portrait by Gerrit Dou is an oil painting on panel. The work measures 28 cm in height and 24 cm in width. As a portrait, the piece focuses on the depiction of Johan Wittert van der Aa, utilizing the fine detail characteristic of Dou's small-scale panel works from this period.
History & Provenance
According to Wikidata records, the work was created in 1646 and is catalogued as part of the museum's holdings of Gerrit Dou's portraiture.
The painting was executed by Gerrit Dou in 1646 as an oil portrait on panel measuring 28 by 24 centimeters. It entered the collection of Jacobus Salomon Hendrik van de Poll and later Henric Muilman before being acquired by the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, where it remains part of the museum's holdings.
The painting is held by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, which lists it in its collection. According to Wikidata records, the work was created in 1646 and is catalogued as part of the museum's holdings of Gerrit Dou's portraiture.
Earlier provenance traces the panel through two private Dutch collectors: Jacobus Salomon Hendrik van de Poll and Henric Muilman, both identified as former owners before the work entered the Rijksmuseum's collection. No exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Johan Wittert van der Aa is a portrait painted in 1646 by Gerrit Dou, a Dutch Golden Age painter and former student of Rembrandt. Executed in oil paint, the work exemplifies Dou's characteristic meticulousness and small-scale approach.
Subject & Meaning
The subject, Johan Wittert van der Aa, is depicted in formal attire, a black robe with a white collar and black tie, seated in a chair with his arm resting on a nearby table. The background features a stone column adorned with cherubs, suggesting a scholarly or formal environment.
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Artist & collection
Artist
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.
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