Portrait of a Scholar 

"Portrait of a Scholar" is a painting by Dutch Golden Age painter Gerrit Dou. The artwork depicts a scholar hunched over an open book, illuminated by a single light source. The scholar's furrowed brow and intense gaze suggest deep concentration, highlighting the importance of knowledge and study during the period. The meticulous detail and realistic rendering are characteristic of Dou's work, known for its mastery of chiaroscuro and its focus on everyday life. This piece, like many of Dou's, captures the quiet intensity of intellectual pursuit, a theme that resonated with audiences of the time.