Gerard Dou: Portrait of a Reading Woman (c. 1630); Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam



Gerard Dou was not only Rembrandt’s first pupil, but surely also one of his most talented. Dou learned from the great master in the making - Rembrandt had recently started his own studio with fellow artist Jan Lievens in their hometown of Leiden - the essentials of painting, such as composition, coloring and light effects.
Understandably, the early work of Dou is heavily influenced by that of his teacher. His paintings soon began to show characteristics, though, that distinguish his work from that of Rembrandt. Where the latter loved intense, dramatic lighting, Dou preferred a more even illumination. Another big style difference is Dou's tendency to show things as precise and detailed as possible, while Rembrandt is typically an artist of the grand gesture and bold brush strokes.
This picture of an elderly woman shows Dou’s skills in the period that he was still active in Rembrandt’s studio. Though the painting is very Rembrandtesque (for some time, it was even ascribed to him), it shows that Dou is already developing into another direction as well. The precision with which the wrinkles in the face of the woman or the letters in the book are depicted, is stunning.
Later in his career, Gerard Dou became the leading representative of what is called the 'Leidse fijnschilders’, a group of artists who specialized in producing extremely finely painted works. Striving for the ultimate meticulous painting, Dou fabricated his own brushes, as the normal ones were not fine enough. It is known that, before starting to work, Dou used to sit still on his painting stool for minutes to let all the dust settle down, so that it would not spoil his painting. Although Dou became one of the best-paid artists of the Golden Age, his portrait commissions decreased: most people had no patience to pose that long.

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