Fine Art

Self-Portrait — History & Facts

Wearing an embroidered Japanese dressing gown, Bol poses as a man of the world here. He probably painted this self-portrait on the occasion of his marriage to the wealthy widow Anna van Erckel, one of his earliest patrons. The gilded, ornate frame was specially made for the painting.

Its large carved sunflowers symbolize marriage: they trail the sun just like a person follows their beloved one.

More Artworks by Ferdinand Bol

Portrait of an old lady, oil on canvas by Ferdinand Bol

Portrait of an Old Lady, possibly Elisabeth Bas

Ferdinand Bol

Portrait of Roelof Meulenaer by Ferdinand Bol, oil on canvas, 1650

Portrait of Roelof Meulenaer

Ferdinand Bol

Historical scene of Claudius Civilis and Quintus Petillius Cerealis, oil painting by Ferdinand Bol

The Peace Negotiations between Claudius Civilis and Quintus Petillius Cerealis on the Demolished Bridge.

Ferdinand Bol

Portrait of an old man with a blue baret, etching by Ferdinand Bol

Buste van een oude man met fluwelen baret

Ferdinand Bol

Etching by Ferdinand Bol depicting Hieronymus in a grotto with shadows and earthy tones

Hieronymus in een grot

Ferdinand Bol

Etching by Ferdinand Bol depicting a self-portrait in a cloak with dramatic light.

Zelfportret

Ferdinand Bol

Portrait of a woman in oil on canvas by Ferdinand Bol, showing a contemplative expression.

Portrait of a Woman

Ferdinand Bol

Moses holds the Ten Commandments in this oil on canvas by Ferdinand Bol.

Moses Descending from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments

Ferdinand Bol

Portrait of an old man with a long beard, etching by Ferdinand Bol

Oude man met baard

Ferdinand Bol

Venus and Adonis, oil on canvas by Ferdinand Bol, shows Venus and Amor urging Adonis against a boar hunt.

Venus and Adonis

Ferdinand Bol

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More Portrait Art

A young girl in a pale dress stands center surrounded by figures including two women, a dwarf, a dog, and a man with a brush beside a large canvas.

Las Meninas

Diego Velázquez

A European girl wearing a blue headscarf with a yellow drape and a large pearl earring against a dark background.

Girl with a Pearl Earring

Johannes Vermeer

A man wearing a heavy brown coat and dark fur hat with a white bandage on his right ear clenches a wooden pipe between his lips as smoke rises.

Self-portrait with a Bandaged Ear and Pipe

Unidentified artist

Marie de' Medici stands in a lavish black and gold gown with a golden mantle and helmet, crowned by two winged putti above her, with armor and weapons at her feet against a dramatic sky.

Portrait de Marie de Médicis

Peter Paul Rubens

A seated woman in a deep blue and gold gown with a starched white ruff, holding flowers, against a red curtain and grand architectural background.

Anne of Austria, Queen of France

Peter Paul Rubens

Equestrian portrait of Charles Colonna, Duke of Marsi by Peter Paul Rubens, depicting the Duke on a rearing warhorse.

Equestrian portrait of Charles Colonna, Duke of Marsi

Peter Paul Rubens

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