ticketsMember | Make a donation

Head of a Bearded Man in a Hat

ca. 1650
Not on view
One of the emblematic painters of seventeenth-century Holland, Adriaen van Ostade was also a prolific draftsman. This sensitive drawing is arguably the best of a small group of head studies by him. Three of those, all in the British Museum, London, also depict an old peasant in a hat, possibly the same model. All four studies may have been done from life. Because this drawing represents its subject not as a type or caricature but as a stern-looking, even melancholy human marked by life, it can be called an exception in the oeuvre of Van Ostade, whose figures are usually seen laughing, drinking, smoking and dancing—or worse. The modest subject of the drawing contrasts with its refined technique. In addition to red and black chalk, Van Ostade used blue pastel to subtly color the hat and the man's jerkin.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Head of a Bearded Man in a Hat
  • Artist: Adriaen van Ostade (Dutch, Haarlem 1610–1685 Haarlem)
  • Date: ca. 1650
  • Medium: Black and red chalk, blue pastel
  • Dimensions: Sheet: 3 3/4 x 3 1/2 in. (9.6 x 8.9 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Walter and Leonore Annenberg Acquisitions Endowment and Frits and Rita Markus Funds, 2010
  • Object Number: 2010.440
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
The Dance at the Inn, Adriaen van Ostade Dutch, Etching; seventh state
The Dance at the Inn
Adriaen van Ostade
1652
Hurdy Gurdy Man, Adriaen van Ostade Dutch, Etching
Hurdy Gurdy Man
Adriaen van Ostade
1647
Interior of a Barn with Mother and Two Children, Right in Front a Pig (copy), Adriaen van Ostade Dutch, Engraving
Interior of a Barn with Mother and Two Children, Right in Front a Pig (copy)
Adriaen van Ostade
Jacob Louys
17th century
The Cobbler (copy), Adriaen van Ostade Dutch, Etching
The Cobbler (copy)
Adriaen van Ostade
n.d.
The Quacksalver (copy), Adriaen van Ostade Dutch, Etching
The Quacksalver (copy)
Adriaen van Ostade
n.d.

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.