Old Woman Reading
c. 1631 - c. 1632
Gerrit Dou, Rembrandt’s first student, took his teacher’s love of drama to the extreme with this hyper-realistic portrait. Notice how the light acts like a spotlight, illuminating the woman's weathered face and the thick fur of her coat while plunging the rest into deep shadow—a technique called chiaroscuro. She's engrossed in a large book, likely a Bible (specifically the book of Ecclesiasticus, if you look closely at the text), showing a moment of quiet, intense devotion. Dou was famous for being a 'fijnschilder' or fine painter, meaning he painted with such tiny brushstrokes that the surface looks smooth as glass.
- Technique
- Oil on panel
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