Paper

Student Artwork Guide

The Physician

Gerrit Dou

Name Class Date
Gerrit Dou, The Physician. Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
Gerrit Dou topimpressionists.com/en/artists/gerrit-dou/
Artist’s dates
1613 – 1675
Movement
Dutch Golden Age Seventeenth-century Dutch painting of everyday rooms, seas and citizens, bought by merchants rather than kings.

Copyright This work is in the public domain. Gerrit Dou died in 1675; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 1745.

Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Sept. 28, 2026

The Physician — Gerrit Dou Part 1 · The artwork

In context

The Physician — Gerrit Dou

When might this have been painted?

  1. 1610
  2. 1620
  3. 1630
  4. 1640
  5. 1650
  6. 1660
  7. 1670

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 62 at death.

Shaded: the lifetime of Gerrit Dou (1613–1675) every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1640 Main working years: 1640–1660 Late works: from 1660

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/gerrit-dou-the-physician-8LJ2Q4-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Phthalo Green #2f2020

    Catalogued palette

    • #2F2020
    • #54403A
    • #DBD7D1
    • #987E69

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Palette
    Earthy The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Phthalo Green
    Intensity
    Monochromatic How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Statement How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Balanced Harmony How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Deep_shadow How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Muted How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Gerrit Dou over the last twelve months — 12 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 70.4%
    2. 2 United States of America 13.3%
    3. 3 Singapore 5.2%
    4. 4 Germany 3.0%
    5. 5 Hong Kong 2.2%
    6. 6 Malaysia 1.5%
    7. 7 Argentina 0.7%
    8. 8 Austria 0.7%
    9. 9 France 0.7%
    10. 10 Italy 0.7%
    11. · 2 other countries 1.6%

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 20 most looked-at works by Gerrit Dou

    1. 1 A Fisherman's Wife, 1653 23.6%
    2. 2 Astronomer, 1650 3.8%
    3. 3 Self-Portrait, 1665 3.2%
    4. 4 English The Moneylender Français Le peseur d'or, 1664 3.2%
    5. 5 The Night School (detail), 1660 3.2%
    6. 6 Dentist by Candlelight, 1660 2.5%
    7. 7 Self-Portrait in a Window, 1657 2.5%
    8. 8 The Dropsical Woman, 1663 2.5%
    9. 9 Self-Portrait, 1640 2.5%
    10. 10 The Dutch Housewife or, The Woman Hanging a Cockerel in the Window, 1650 2.5%
    11. 11 The Night School, 1660 1.9%
    12. 12 Old Woman Reading a Bible, 1630 1.9%
    13. 13 Reading the Bible, 1645 1.9%
    14. 14 An Elderly Woman, Seated by a Window at her Spinning Wheel, Eating Porridge, 1635 1.9%
    15. 15 Burgomaster Hasselaar and His Wife 1.9%
    16. 16 The Astronomer by Candlelight 1.3%
    17. 17 Girl with Burning Oil Lamp 1.3%
    18. 18 Violon Player, 1653 1.3%
    19. 19 Betender Einsiedler, 1670 1.3%
    20. — The Physician this painting 0.0%

    Together these works take 64.2% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 202 works by this artist, of which 67 were looked at at least once. This painting has not been looked at yet in that time — it closes the list without a rank. The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Sept. 28, 2026

    The Physician — Gerrit Dou Part 2 · In context

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Gerrit Dou

    Born in Leiden, Netherlands

    biography of a prolific painter

    gerrit (gérard) dou, a prominent figure in the dutch golden age painting, was born on april 7, 1613, in leiden, netherlands. he passed away on february 9, 1675, leaving behind an impressive legacy of highly polished paintings that continue to captivate art enthusiasts worldwide.

    artistic style and specialization

    gerrit dou's artistic style is characterized by its minute and elaborate treatment, often featuring genre scenes and trompe l'oeil 'niche' paintings. his mastery of chiaroscuro is particularly notable, as seen in his candlelit night-scenes. this unique blend of skills has led to his association with the leiden fijnschilders.

    notable works and collections

    * the astronomer by candlelight, a painting that showcases dou's expertise in capturing the subtleties of light, can be found on AllPaintingsStore.com. * the leiden collection, new york, a renowned art museum, features works by gerrit dou, among other notable artists. for more information on the collection, visit the leiden collection, new york: a comprehensive guide on AllPaintingsStore.com.

    influence and legacy

    gerrit dou's influence can be seen in his pupils, including frans van mieris the elder and gabriël metsu. his work has also been featured in various museums, such as the museum huis ten bosch in the hague, netherlands, which houses an impressive collection of european art from the 16th to the 18th century.

    key facts: born: april 7, 1613, leiden, netherlands died: february 9, 1675 notable works: the astronomer by candlelight, genre scenes, and candlelit night-scenes influenced: frans van mieris the elder, gabriël metsu, and others

    recommended reading: * gerrit (gérard) dou on AllPaintingsStore.com * dutch golden age painting on wikipedia

    conclusion

    gerrit (gérard) dou's remarkable contributions to the dutch golden age have left an indelible mark on the art world. his captivating paintings, characterized by their intricate details and masterful use of light, continue to inspire artists and art enthusiasts alike. to explore more of his works and those of other notable artists, visit AllPaintingsStore.com.

    Where to read more

    • The artist Gerrit Dou topimpressionists.com/en/artists/gerrit-dou/
    • Similar works More works to compare topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/gerrit-dou-the-physician-8LJ2Q4-en/

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for The Physician

    topimpressionists.com/en/art/download/gerrit-dou-the-physician-8LJ2Q4-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Dou, Gerrit. The Physician. n.d., https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/gerrit-dou-the-physician-8LJ2Q4-en/
    APA
    Dou, Gerrit (n.d.). The Physician [Painting]. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/gerrit-dou-the-physician-8LJ2Q4-en/
    Chicago
    Gerrit Dou. The Physician. n.d. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/gerrit-dou-the-physician-8LJ2Q4-en/
    Harvard
    Dou, Gerrit (n.d.) The Physician. Available at: https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/gerrit-dou-the-physician-8LJ2Q4-en/

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Sept. 28, 2026

    The Physician — Gerrit Dou Part 3 · Artist and museum

    Look closely

    The Physician — Gerrit Dou

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. How many faces can you find? ____ (our catalogue counts 2 — do you agree?)
    4. Look back at English The Moneylender Français Le peseur d'or (1664), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    5. Dutch Golden Age: Seventeenth-century Dutch painting of everyday rooms, seas and citizens, bought by merchants rather than kings. Where can you see that in this work?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Sept. 28, 2026

    The Physician — Gerrit Dou Part 4 · Look closely

    Questions & Answers

    How does the style of "The Physician" relate to its creator's era?

    In "The Physician" by Gerrit Dou, the Dutch Golden Age movement meets the Early-Modern era.

    Who sells hand-painted copies of "The Physician" by Gerrit Dou?

    Hand-painted copies of "The Physician" by Gerrit Dou are sold on this website: a hand-painted oil reproduction on linen canvas, ordered from its Hand-Painted Reproduction page.

    Is "The Physician" by Gerrit Dou in the public domain, and why?

    "The Physician" by Gerrit Dou is in the public domain - its copyright has expired. Copyright duration runs from the artist's death, which occurred in 1675.