An Old Man Seated at a Table, His Head Resting on His Right Hand (recto)

c. 1630s

Ferdinand Bol

(Dutch, 1616–1680)

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Culture

Netherlands

Medium

Pen and brown ink, brown wash, black ink framing lines (recto)

Measurements

Sheet: 18 x 15.7 cm (7 1/16 x 6 3/16 in.)

Credit Line

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2025.142.a

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Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

Ferdinand Bol’s subtle and controlled use of ink wash reveals a large trunk on the floor, while retaining bright highlights on the figure, book, and globe on the windowsill.

Description

Ferdinand Bol was one of the most prominent pupils and followers of Rembrandt van Rijn, for whom drawing played a central role in his workshop practice and teaching. This image of a man within a darkened interior before a window—perhaps a scholar or philosopher—is similar to compositions of saints as well as portraits that Rembrandt made in the 1630s and 1640s. Bol was quite interested in the theme, portraying similar figures in at least two paintings, ten drawings, and four etchings. Like Rembrandt, he employed an expressive but controlled use of ink wash, emphasizing the psychological interiority of the sitter with dramatic shading. The verso (back) of the drawing features a quick sketch by Bol after another of Rembrandt’s compositions, Tobit Healing his Father’s Blindness, 1640–45, held today in the CMA’s collection (1969.69).