Astronomer 1655

"Astronomer" (1655) by Dutch painter Gerrit Dou (1613-1675) is an example of the artist's genre paintings depicting everyday life. The artwork features an older man, likely a scholar, studying a terrestrial globe illuminated by a candle. Dou's signature attention to detail is evident in the depiction of the man's face, his hand holding the candle, and the surrounding objects, such as the open book, an hourglass, and a glass flask. The painting highlights the quiet intimacy of intellectual pursuits and the power of observation and discovery.