The Wilson Art Gallery and Museum

He painted about 12 self-portraits. This is the first, painted when he was about 36. He follows his Rembrandt’s example in portraying his features in fine detail but otherwise takes a much more formal and less expressive approach than his teacher. Whilst Rembrandt’s self-portraits became increasingly concerned with depicting the inner life and ageing process of the artist, Dou here, celebrates his material, intellectual and social status by showing himself with a palette, a plaster cast of  a classical figure, and wearing fashionable clothes.

In his turn, Dou taught Frans van Mieris the Elder, Gabriel Metsu and Godfried Schalken. In the 19th century, these Leiden painters were known as the ‘Fijnschilders’ – or ‘fine painters’.