Head of an Old Man
attributed to Gerrit Dou (Leiden 1613 - Leiden 1675)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1635 (?) (bears date on reverse)
Materials
Oil on copper/panel
Measurements
210 x 165 mm (8 ¼ x 6 ½ in)
Place of origin
Holland
Order this imageCollection
Ham House, Surrey
NT 1139905
Summary
Oil painting on copper/panel, Head of an Old Man, attributed to Gerrit Dou (Leyden 1613 – Leyden 1675), signed, to the right of the man’s head: GDOU [the ‘G’ and ‘D’ form one character and inscribed: 'A Head by Jerar’ and ‘1635 fecit’. An oval bust-length small portrait of a middle-aged/old man, clean shaven with short hair, dressed in a blue jacket with green lining and white shirt, facing left, head turned to look outwards.
Provenance
In 1683 valuation and thence by descent until acquired in 1948 by HM Government when Sir Lyonel, 4th Bt (1854 – 1952) and Sir Cecil Tollemache, 5th Bt (1886 – 1969) presented Ham House to the National Trust, and entrusted to the care of the Victoria & Albert Museum, until 1990, when returned to the care of the National Trust, and to which ownership was transferred in 2002
Credit line
Ham House, The Dysart Collection (purchased by HM Government in 1948 and transferred to the National Trust in 2002)
Marks and inscriptions
Verso: on a label on back of the [backing?] panel in bold brown ink: 43; and above: no.27; and lower down: 11, over xi; in brown ink on a round serrated label: 8573; and in brown ink on a square label: B2703. Verso: in brown ink on back of frame: A Head By Jerar [i.e. ‘Gerard’ = Dou]; also the remnants of another label.
Makers and roles
attributed to Gerrit Dou (Leiden 1613 - Leiden 1675), artist
