4 Portrait of a Man 

Ferdinand Bol created this 'Portrait of a Man' with oil on canvas around 1669. This painting demonstrates the material and social context of portraiture in the Dutch Golden Age. It involves the labour of grinding pigments, preparing the canvas, and the skilled application of paint in layers to achieve the likeness of the subject. Oil paint allowed for the creation of rich, luminous colors, and subtle gradations of tone, capturing the textures of skin, hair and fabric. Bol's technique reflects the established traditions of the time, but also demonstrates a command of light and shadow. The act of painting here becomes a form of social transaction between the artist, his patron, and the wider culture that valued representations of individual identity and status. Ultimately, by understanding the choices of materials and techniques we can appreciate the cultural and economic forces that shaped artistic production during this period.