若い母親

Gerrit Dou finished this in 1658 in Leiden, where he had trained as a boy in the young Rembrandt's studio before going his own way. He became the founder of the fijnschilders, the fine painters, prized for a polished, almost invisible brushwork you can see here in the wicker cradle, the gleam of the metalware, and the mother's face by the window. Two years later the painting was caught up in politics. In 1660 the States of Holland put together a lavish diplomatic present for Charles II, newly restored to the English throne after years of exile partly spent in The Hague. This Young Mother went into that Dutch Gift. Charles liked it so much he offered Dou a post as his court painter in London. Dou said no and stayed in Leiden, where wealthy collectors were already paying more for his slow, meticulous panels than for almost anyone else's.