Follower Of Gerard Dou, “old Schoolmaster,” Late 19th Century

Follower of Gerard Dou, “Old Schoolmaster,” Late 19th century

The main figure is an elderly man with a wrinkled face and a smug smile, wearing a red cap and a dark robe with wide sleeves. He is bent over the table, preparing his pen for writing.

The interior is rendered with scenographic depth, thanks to the arched window that acts as a natural frame. A green drape falls in the background, creating an elegant chromatic contrast.

Style and attribution

The technique shows precise brushstrokes and meticulous attention to detail—typical of the 17th-century Dutch school—but the pictorial material and the choice of metal support (zinc sheet) reveal a 19th-century date, when copies and reinterpretations of the masters of the Golden Age became common.

Technical data

Period: Late 19th century (circa 1880-1890)

Technique: Oil on zinc sheet metal

Dimensions: Height 50 cm x Width 42 cm

Attribution: Follower of Gerard Dou (Leiden, 1613-1675), inspired by the famous subject of the “Old Schoolmaster” of 1671.