Portrait of Rembrandt' s father

This 1638 portrait traditionally identified as Rembrandt's father reflects Dou's early career when he maintained close connections with his former master's family and circle. Dou had studied with Rembrandt in Leiden from around 1628 and absorbed his initial interest in elderly character studies — tronies of aged faces rendered with dramatic light. The identification with Rembrandt's father, though traditional, cannot be verified with certainty, but the painting's date and subject connect it to Dou's sustained interest in elderly male figures that derived from Rembrandt's example. These character studies were among Dou's first commercial successes, establishing his reputation for virtuosic rendering of weathered faces and aged textures.

The elderly face is modeled with careful attention to the textures of aged skin and wispy hair, combining Rembrandtesque chiaroscuro with the more polished surface finish that would become Dou's hallmark.