GERRIT DOU (LEIDEN 1613-LEIDEN 1675)
A Girl chopping Onions
Signed and dated 1646Oil on panel | 20.8 x 16.9 cm (support, canvas/panel/stretcher external) | RCIN 406358
Dou’s ‘fine painting’ influenced generations of Dutch masters. He creates meticulous detail and flaunts his skill through many different materials, surfaces and intricate shapes. He explores the play of natural daylight and makes objects appear to ‘breathe’ in space. He demands the viewer’s attention, even on this tiny scale, through the serving girl’s guarded stare and the objects spilling out of the front of the picture.