Portrait of an old woman reading

Dating to 1631, study of an elderly woman reading around 1631-1632, when he was still a teenager and recently trained under Rembrandt. The painting was once attributed to Rembrandt himself and titled "Rembrandt's Mother," but in 1901 art historian Wilhelm Martin identified it as Dou's work based on his characteristic use of chiaroscuro and smooth surface structure.

The old woman reads the beginning of the 19th chapter of Luke's Gospel, which states that whoever wants to do good should give their possessions to the poor. This message contrasts with her expensive clothing, suggesting she still clings to worldly goods. Dou shows notable technical skill for his young age, rendering the Biblical text and accompanying print with extreme precision.

The painting hangs at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, which acquired it in 1912. The old woman depicted here appears in works by Dou, Rembrandt, and Jan Lievens, all of whom shared a studio in Leiden during this period. Dou became Rembrandt's first pupil in 1628 at just fourteen years old.