Artist: Gerrit Dou
Dates of artist: 1613-1675
Nationality: Dutch
Pillow: domed, flat back, on a base, sloping towards lacemaker, on lacemaker's lap.
Bobbins: with bulbs on end, on pillow, not many bobbins, some hanging off back
Comments: This is an engraving (?) - I have not been able to track down the original painting. It worries me. This is the first painting shows lace being made by artificial light (and in my opinion, vastly inadequate). If you look at the other lacemaker by Dou, you can see that the position of the hands, and angle of the face, the neckline, and the position of the pillow and bobbins are very similar, yet the face looks completely different. Dou is famous for paintings with candlelight - could some later artist have painted or even engraved this based on the other painting? Or perhaps it really is by Dou! I think I found it in a book somewhere.
Gerrit Dou painted more than one lacemaker.
© Jo Edkins 2017 - return to lace index