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Historical Artist - Gerard Dou (1613 - 1675)
Gerrit Dou was born in Leiden where he became Rembrandt’s first student in 1628. His
early style was reflective of his teacher’s but when Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam around
1631, Dou developed a smoother, more distinctive approach. He painted meticulously, with careful
attention to detail and sometimes enlisted the aid of a magnifying glass. He painted an array of
subjects, but is remembered for his domestic interiors. In 1648, Dou helped found the Leiden
Guild of St. Luke. He established an international reputation and even turned down an invitation
from Charles II to travel to England. Dou enjoyed an extended period of success and financial
prosperity until the development of Impressionism. He specialised in genre scenes and is noted
for his trompe l'oeil "niche" paintings and candlelit night-scenes with strong
chiaroscuro. Notwithstanding the minuteness of his touch, however, the general effect was
harmonious and free from stiffness, and his color was always admirably fresh and transparent. He
was fond of representing subjects in lantern or candle light, the effects of which he reproduced
with a fidelity and skill which no other master has equaled. He frequently painted by the aid of
a concave mirror, and to obtain exactness looked at his subject through a frame crossed with
squares of silk thread. His practice as a portrait painter, which was at first considerable,
gradually declined, sitters being unwilling to give him the time that he deemed necessary. His
pictures were always small in size, and represented chiefly subjects in still life. Upwards of
200 are attributed to him, and specimens are to be found in most of the great public collections
of Europe.
Contemporary Dutch Artists
Art Galleries in the Netherlands
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