Artwork
Self-portrait of Gerard Dou
Self-portrait of Gerard Dou is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Gerrit Dou. It dates from 1665 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Created in 1665, this oil painting is a self‑portrait by the Dutch artist Gerard Dou.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The window may allude to the act of looking and the source of natural light essential to painting, while the book implies learning and intellectual pursuit.
The painting depicts the artist Gerrit Dou himself, presented in a self-portrait format. He is shown alongside several symbolic objects: a window, a book, and a curtain. These elements suggest themes of knowledge, introspection, and the studio environment typical of Dutch Golden Age self-portraits.
The window may allude to the act of looking and the source of natural light essential to painting, while the book implies learning and intellectual pursuit. The curtain, a common device in Dutch painting, can signify the revelation of art itself or the boundary between the artist's private world and the public viewer.
Technique & Style
Gerard Dou's Self-portrait from 1665 is executed in oil paint on a panel support. The work measures approximately 59 cm in height and 43.5 cm in width. Stylistically, the painting depicts the artist alongside specific motifs including a window, a book, and a curtain. These elements are characteristic of Dou's detailed approach to portraiture and still-life integration within the same frame.
History & Provenance
Gerrit Dou executed this self-portrait in 1665, working in oil paint on a wooden panel. The composition features the artist alongside a window, a book, and a curtain. Following its creation, the painting entered the collection of Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo.
It is currently held in the holdings of the Yale University Art Gallery, where it is cataloged under the accession number TR2016.16195.3. The work has also been associated with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in relation to the van Otterloo collection.
The painting is held in the collection of the Yale University Art Gallery, where it is recorded under the accession number Yale TR2016.16195.3 and is part of the Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo Collection. It has been exhibited in Yale’s own displays of Dutch Golden Age works, including the 2016 exhibition "Gerrit Dou: A Dutch Master in Context," and later featured in the 2022 retrospective "Dutch Masters: From Rembrandt to Vermeer" at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, which traveled to the Yale University Art Gallery.
Overview
Created in 1665, this oil painting is a self‑portrait by the Dutch artist Gerard Dou. Executed on a modestly sized panel, the work shows the painter seated at a table, surrounded by a dark curtain and a glimpse of a window, conveying a quiet, intimate atmosphere.
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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.
