Willem Drost
, Dutch, 1633-1659
Title
Bust of a Man Wearing a large-brimmed HatDatec.1654
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions
73.1 x 62 cm
Signedcentre right: W. Dro[st]
Credit LinePurchased, 1889
Object numberNGI.107
DescriptionThe present painting is not a portrait of a Jewish rabbi, as described in early National Gallery of Ireland catalogues. Rather, it is a tronie (a seventeenth-century Dutch word for ‘face’), a study in the expression of a certain type or character. The man’s fur-lined cloak shows similarities with one worn by Rembrandt in a self-portrait, as does the cap, here red with a pearl ornament. A chain hung with crucifixes enlivens the shirt. The modelling and lighting make it one of Drost’s most accomplished works, with a great sense of presence and an individual interpretation of Rembrandt’s style.
The discovery of Drost’s signature on this picture during cleaning in 1982 stimulated new attributions to the artist of a number of paintings from the early 1650s, which were formerly attributed to Rembrandt and unknown assistants.
Little is known about Drost’s life. He is thought to have trained with Rembrandt around 1650 and was in Italy by 1654, when he worked on a commission in Venice. He died at the age of 25. A number of paintings formerly regarded as authentic works by Rembrandt have been attributed to Drost in recent years, though many unconvincingly.
March 2016
ProvenanceJ.B.P. Lebrun sale, Paris, 14 April 1784, lot 23 (as Rembrandt); purchased by Joseph Strutt, Derby between 1820 and 1821; by descent to Howard Galton of Hadzor by 1854; by descent to Hubert Galton; purchased, Christie's, London, 22 June 1889, Hubert Galton's Sale, lot 26Exhibition HistoryManchester Art Treasures, Manchester, 1857
Worcestershire Exhibition, Worcester, 1882
Old Masters, Royal Academy, London, 1883
Exhibition of Works of the Old Masters, and by Deceased Masters of the British School, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1894
Rembrandt: The Impact of a Genius, Waterman Gallery, Amsterdam; Groninger Museum, Groningen, 1983
Dutch Paintings of the Golden Age from the Collection of the National Gallery of Ireland, Charles W. Bowers Memorial Museum, Santa Ana, California; Midland Arts Council, Midland, Michigan; Mint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina; Centre for the Fine Arts, Miami, Florida; IBM Gallery, New York, 1987
Master European Paintings from the National Gallery of Ireland, The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, 6 June - 9 August 1992; Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco, 19 September - 6 December 1992; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 13 January - 28 March 1993; IBM Gallery, New York, 27 April - 26 June 1993
Rembrandt, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 10 October - 7 December 1997; National Museum of Australia, Canberra, 18 December 1997 - 15 February 1998
Rembrandt and his Circle, Statens Museum for Kunst, 3 February - 14 May 2006
The Jewish Rembrandt, Jewish Historical Museum, Amsterdam, 9 November 2006 - 4 February 2007
Turning Heads - Rubens, Rembrandt, Vermeer, KSMKA - Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, Antwerp, 20 October 2023 - 21 January 2024
Label TextLittle is known about Drost’s life. He probably trained with Rembrandt around 1650, but was working in Venice by 1654. He died at the age of 25. This painting is not a portrait of a Jewish rabbi, as described in early National Gallery of Ireland catalogues. Rather, it is a tronie (the seventeenth-century Dutch word for ‘face’), a study in the expression of a certain type or character. The man’s fur-lined cloak and cap bear similarities with those worn by Rembrandt in some of his self-portraits. A chain with crucifixes enlivens the shirt.