Artwork
Man Smoking a Pipe
Man Smoking a Pipe is an oil painting by Gerrit Dou. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting portrays the artist himself engaged in a domestic activity, presenting a self-portrait that emphasizes personal identity rather than public status.
The painting portrays the artist himself engaged in a domestic activity, presenting a self-portrait that emphasizes personal identity rather than public status. Smoking a pipe serves as a symbol of contemplation and the everyday scholarly routine within his domestic studio, reflecting the artist's introspective role. This intimate scene underscores the theme of artistic self‑examination and the quiet dignity of creative labor.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1650, this work is an oil painting applied on a wooden panel. The composition functions as a self-portrait, depicting the artist Gerrit Dou in the act of smoking a pipe. Physically, the support measures 48 cm in height and 37 cm in width.
The piece is classified within the portrait genre and is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
History & Provenance
The work dates to 1650 and is painted in oil on panel by Gerrit Dou.
In the late seventeenth century it belonged to Pieter Cornelisz van Slingelandt and later passed to Leendert Dupper. By the early nineteenth century it was in the collection of Dupper, from whom it entered the holdings of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains today.
The painting Man Smoking a Pipe by Gerrit Dou is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it is displayed in Hall 2.25. Created in 1650, the work was previously owned by Pieter Cornelisz van Slingelandt and Leendert Dupper before entering the museum's holdings. The provided sources confirm its current location and past ownership but do not contain specific inventory accession numbers or a record of its exhibition history.
Overview
Man Smoking a Pipe, an oil painting from circa 1650, is a self-portrait by Dutch Golden Age artist Gerrit Dou, now part of the Rijksmuseum's collection.
Context
The setting, with a brown fur-lined coat, dark cap, and subtly lit window, evokes a sense of everyday life in 17th-century Netherlands, with the pipe smoke adding a mundane touch.
Legacy
As a representative of Dou's work, the painting showcases the Leiden fijnschilders' influence on Dutch Golden Age painting, emphasizing detail, contrast, and intimate genre scenes.
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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.
