or Gerard Dou
born April 7, 1613, Leiden, Neth.
died Feb. 9, 1675, Leiden
Dutch painter.
From 1628 to 1631 he studied with Rembrandt , adopting his subject matter, careful draftsmanship, and dramatic treatment of light and shadow. When Rembrandt left Leiden, Dou developed his own style, painting smooth, meticulously detailed, small-scale domestic interiors and portraits. He used the "frame within a frame" device of surrounding his figures by a window or curtain and excelled at scenes lit by candlelight. With Jan Steen he was among the founders of the Guild of St. Luke at Leiden (1648).