Man Smoking a Pipe, Gerard Dou, c. 1650
oil on panel, h 48cm × w 37cm More details
A young man leans on a window ledge, smoking a pipe and looking out at us. Dou was a master of illusionism. The open book on the sill seems to protrude from the window into our space, and the green curtain hanging from the copper rod is so realistically painted that we are tempted to draw it farther back. However, the painting’s small size gives away the deception.
