Artwork
Young Woman with a Candle
Young Woman with a Candle is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Gerrit Dou. It dates from 1658 and is held in the collection of the Alte Pinakothek.
About this work
Technique & Style
The work depicts a solitary woman illuminated by the soft glow of a candle held in her hand, with a lantern and an open window visible in the background.
Gerrit Dou painted Young Woman with a Candle in 1658 using oil paint on a wooden panel. The work depicts a solitary woman illuminated by the soft glow of a candle held in her hand, with a lantern and an open window visible in the background. The intimate interior setting and meticulous rendering of light exemplify Dou’s mastery of chiaroscuro and his focus on genre scenes. The painting measures 31 cm in height and 21 cm in width.
The surface retains its original glossy finish, and the panel remains stable, showing no significant cracks or losses. Fine brushwork defines the textures of fabric and skin, while subtle tonal transitions create a three‑dimensional presence. The composition is balanced by the diagonal placement of the candle, which draws the viewer’s eye toward the figure’s face.
The artwork is housed in the Alte Pinakothek, part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections, where it is displayed within the Johann Wilhelm von der Pfalz collection.
History & Provenance
The painting entered the Bavarian State Painting Collections as part of the holdings assembled by Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine, whose collection formed the nucleus of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. The work is dated 1658 and is catalogued among the holdings of the Alte Pinakothek, where it remains located.
The provenance prior to its inclusion in the Elector’s collection is not specified in the cited sources.
The painting is held in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections. It entered the collection as Johann Wilhelm von der Pfalz’s acquisition and is inventoried as Inv.-Nr. 542.
No exhibition history is recorded in the provided sources.
Overview
Gerrit Dou, a Dutch painter active in the mid‑17th century and a pupil of Rembrandt, completed the oil painting Young Woman with a Candle in 1658. Executed on a modestly sized panel, the work portrays a solitary female figure illuminated by a candle held within a glass lantern, set against a dimly lit interior.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a young woman seated near a window, her hair gathered and her attire consisting of a dark coat trimmed with a light‑colored collar. The candle’s glow, filtered through the lantern’s glass, accentuates her facial features and creates a quiet, introspective atmosphere typical of domestic genre scenes.
Context
Young Woman with a Candle exemplifies the Leiden fijnschilders’ focus on intimate, everyday subjects rendered with extraordinary finish. The use of a single light source to generate mood aligns with broader Dutch Golden Age interests in realism, domestic virtue, and the visual effects of illumination.
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.
