The Painter in his Studio,

ca. 1667

After Rembrandt, Van Ostade was the most important painter and printmaker of the Dutch Golden Age, specializing in lively depictions of peasant and village life, for which there was a robust middle-class market. Although not a self-portrait, this work served as a promotional vehicle for Van Ostade, who situated the painter in a dilapidated interior, as often found in his genre scenes. Seated in a broken-down chair while working at an easel, the engrossed artist supports his brush-holding hand with a maulstick, while two young apprentices assist him by grinding and mixing colors in the corner. These allusions to his craft are accompanied by references to his education and intellect, including a lute, a plaster cast, and numerous books.