Ferdinand Bol

The Virgin and Child with the infant Saint John the Baptist, and Gabriel

Canvas, 120 x 90.5 cm

Signed and dated at right of Saint John's face: fBol. 1659. (fB in ligature)

This painting was only rediscovered a few years ago; there had previously been no mention of it in the literature on Bol. An atmospheric history painting, it dates from a period in which Bol had developed a more baroque style of painting and very little of Rembrandt's influence is left. The subject and large size of this painting, suggest that it was originally intended as an altarpiece and given the wealth of Catholic imagery in this work, we may assume that Bol painted it for a Catholic client.