Gerrit Dou
Dutch·1613–1675
Dutch Golden Age painter Gerrit Dou (1613-1675) founded the Leiden fijnschilder tradition of small, meticulously polished paintings. Born in Leiden to a stained-glass manufacturer, he trained in his father's workshop before studying under Rembrandt from 1628 to 1631, when he was just fourteen. From Rembrandt he learned chiaroscuro and dramatic light effects, though he soon developed his own minute, elaborate style that diverged from his master's broader manner.
Dou was said to spend five days painting a single hand, manufacturing his own brushes for the fine work. He specialized in candlelit night scenes, genre subjects, and his signature "niche paintings" using trompe-l'oeil effects. For a time, he was the most highly acclaimed Dutch painter, even more celebrated than Rembrandt. Pieter Spiering, the Swedish ambassador, paid him 500 guilders annually just for the right of first refusal on his latest works. Queen Christina of Sweden owned eleven of his paintings; Cosimo III de' Medici visited his studio. His masterpieces include The Dropsical Woman (1663) at the Louvre and The Evening School at the Rijksmuseum.
Primary Genres
Notable Works by Gerrit Dou
9 paintings catalogued with museum locations
P
Portrait of a Man
Gerrit Dou
National Gallery, London
O
Old Woman Reading a Lectionary
Gerrit Dou, 1631
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
T
The Extraction of Tooth
Gerrit Dou
Louvre, Paris, Paris
S
Self Portrait
Gerrit Dou
The Wilson (Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum), Cheltenham, Cheltenham
P
Portrait of an old woman reading
Gerrit Dou, 1631
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
O
Old Woman Praying
Gerrit Dou
Louvre, Paris, Paris
O
Officer of the Marksman Society in Leiden
Gerrit Dou
Budapest Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, Budapest
M
Man with Easel
Gerrit Dou
Private Collection, Unknown
H
Heraklith
Gerrit Dou
State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg
Museums with Gerrit Dou's Work
7 museums display Dou's works. Click any museum to see visiting info and the specific works they hold.
Private Collection
Unknown, Unknown
1 work on display
Man with Easel
Louvre, Paris
Paris, France
2 works on display
The Extraction of Tooth
Old Woman Praying
National Gallery
London, UK
1 work on display
Portrait of a Man
State Hermitage Museum
St. Petersburg, Russia
1 work on display
Heraklith
Rijksmuseum
Amsterdam, Netherlands
2 works on display
Portrait of an old woman reading
Old Woman Reading a Lectionary
Budapest Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest
Budapest, Hungary
1 work on display
Officer of the Marksman Society in Leiden
The Wilson (Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum), Cheltenham
Cheltenham, UK
1 work on display
Self Portrait
Related Artists
Other Dutch Golden Age artists you might like
About Gerrit Dou
Dou founded the Leiden fijnschilder ('fine painter') tradition within the Dutch Golden Age. This style featured small, highly polished paintings with obsessive detail, often depicting candlelit scenes, scholars, and domestic interiors. Dou's meticulous technique became the basis for an entire school of Dutch painting.
Major works are at the Louvre (The Dropsical Woman), the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, and the Leiden Collection. The Louvre's Dropsical Woman is considered his masterpiece, showing his extraordinary ability to render candlelight, textures, and reflections with microscopic precision.
Dou studied under Rembrandt from 1628 to 1631, becoming his first student at age fourteen in Leiden. He learned chiaroscuro and the handling of light from Rembrandt, but developed his own detailed, polished style that moved away from his teacher's looser brushwork toward extreme refinement.
Dou reportedly spent five days painting a single hand and manufactured his own brushes for the extremely fine work. He waited for dust to settle before opening his paint box and sat motionless until the air cleared. His obsessive technique produced surfaces so smooth that brushstrokes are virtually invisible.
He was the most acclaimed Dutch painter of his era, even more celebrated and expensive than his teacher Rembrandt. Queen Christina of Sweden owned eleven of his paintings. King Charles II of England also collected his work. His reputation only declined in the 19th century as looser styles came into fashion.
Love Gerrit Dou's Style?
Explore art inspired by Dutch Golden Age.
Browse CollectionAre you an artist? Sell your art online with Luxury Wall Art.