Ferdinand Bol

Bol, Ferdinand

Bol, Ferdinand (bapt. Dordrecht, 24 June 1616; bur. Amsterdam, 24 July 1680). Dutch painter and etcher, active mainly in Amsterdam. He was a pupil of Rembrandt in the mid-1630s and in his early work imitated his master's style so well as to create occasional difficulty in distinguishing between them. The portrait of Elizabeth Bas in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, is the best-known instance; it was acknowledged as a Rembrandt until 1911, when it was attributed to Bol by Bredius, and although this opinion is still widely accepted, there has been renewed support for Rembrandt as the author (as well as some for Jacob Backer). As Bol's career prospered, both as a portraitist and a painter of historical subjects, his style moved away from that of Rembrandt, becoming blander and more elegant in the manner of van der Helst. In 1669 he married a wealthy widow and seems to have stopped painting. Kneller was Bol's most distinguished pupil.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

IAN CHILVERS. "Bol, Ferdinand." The Oxford Dictionary of Art. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

IAN CHILVERS. "Bol, Ferdinand." The Oxford Dictionary of Art. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O2-BolFerdinand.html

IAN CHILVERS. "Bol, Ferdinand." The Oxford Dictionary of Art. 2004. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O2-BolFerdinand.html

Learn more about citation styles

Bol, Ferdinand

Bol, Ferdinand (1616–80). Dutch painter and etcher, active mainly in Amsterdam. He was a pupil of Rembrandt in the mid-1630s and in his early work imitated his master's style so well as to create occasional difficulty in distinguishing between them. The portrait of Elizabeth Bas in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, is the best-known instance; it was acknowledged as a Rembrandt until 1911, when it was attributed to Bol by Bredius, and although this opinion is still widely accepted, there has been renewed support for Rembrandt as the author (as well as some for Jacob Backer). As Bol's career prospered, both as a portraitist and a painter of historical subjects, his style moved away from that of Rembrandt, becoming blander and more elegant in the manner of van der Helst. In 1669 he married a wealthy widow and seems to have stopped painting. Kneller was Bol's most distinguished pupil.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

IAN CHILVERS. "Bol, Ferdinand." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

IAN CHILVERS. "Bol, Ferdinand." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O3-BolFerdinand.html

IAN CHILVERS. "Bol, Ferdinand." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists. 2003. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O3-BolFerdinand.html

Learn more about citation styles

Ferdinand Bol

Ferdinand Bol , 1616–80, Dutch painter. He studied with Rembrandt in Amsterdam, and his early work (e.g., Elizabeth Bas, Amsterdam) has sometimes been confused with that of his master. His style was modified after 1650 through contact with van der Helst. Thereafter he moved away from a preoccupation with psychological probing and developed lighter tonalities and elegant forms. He is noted mainly for his portraits, a large collection of which is in the Rijks Museum and the Hermitage.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"Ferdinand Bol." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Ferdinand Bol." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Bol-Ferd.html

"Ferdinand Bol." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Bol-Ferd.html

Learn more about citation styles

Free newspaper and magazine articles

Pictures from Google Image Search

Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture

See more pictures of Bol, Ferdinand