Lot 1070 Dα

Although Karel Dujardin is more well-known for his Italian and Dutch landscapes, he also painted a number of “imposing, mysterious religious and mythological scenes” (J. M. Kilian) and a small number of quite impressive portraits.
Dujardin is known to have been born in Amsterdam in 1626 and was a wine merchant's son. Even in her excellent study on Karel Dujardin, Jenifer M. Kilian was unable to find out any details concerning the artist's apprenticeship. Researchers have suggested various teachers thus far, including Nicolaes Berchem, Pieter van Laer, Paulus Potter and Dujardin's cousin Pieter Nason. One secure fact is that he was married in Paris in 1649. It is not known for sure if he travelled to Italy after this, but it is probable. After working in Amsterdam and The Hague, a visit to Italy is documented during the last years of the artist's life. After a stay in Rome, he died in Venice in 1678.
Only around 20 portraits have so far been attributed to Dujardin. They all depict wealthy, cultured patrons in costly and elegant garments. The artist paid particular attention to the gathers in their voluminous sleeves and the draperies of their clothing. The colour palette of these works is generally cool, and the high social standing of the subjects is accentuated by a slightly lowered viewpoint. The portraits display stylistic parallels to the work of Bartholomeus van der Helst.
Apart from one picture of a woman, Dujardin only painted portraits of men. The present work depicts an as yet unidentified gentleman who gazes out confidently towards the beholder. Jennifer M. Kilian dates the work to around 1666, supporting this by way of comparison with a portrait of a man kept in the Niedersächsisches Landesmuseum in Hannover. Both works share the same lace collar, short jacket, and painterly portrayal of the clothing and hands. The work can also be compared to a self-portrait of the artist painted on copper in 1662, which is now kept in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
The present work is registered with the RKD in The Hague as an authentic work by Dujardin under the no. 180654.