small silk thread. He
spent so much time in these works that, notwithstanding they were
extremely admired, his sitters became disgusted, and he was obliged to
abandon portrait painting entirely, and devote his attention to fancy
subjects, in the execution of which he could devote as much time as he
pleased. This will not appear surprising, when Sandrart informs us that,
on one occasion, in company with Peter de Laer, he visited Douw, and
found him at work on a picture, which they could not forbear admiring
for its extraordinary neatness, and on taking particular notice of a
broom, and expressing their surprise that he could devote so much time
in finishing so minute an object, Douw informed them that he should work
on it three days more before he should think it complete. The same
author also says that in a family picture of Mrs. Spiering, that lady
sat five days for the finishing of one of her hands, supporting it on
the arm of a chair.

DOUW'S METHOD OF PAINTING.

His mind was naturally turned to precision and exactness, and it is
evident that he would have shown this quality in any other profession,
had he practiced another. Methodical and regular in all his habits, he
prepared and ground his own colors, and made his own brushes of a
peculiar shape, and he kept them locked up in a case made for the
purpose, that they might be free from soil. He permitted no one to enter
his studio, save a very few friends, and when he entered himself, he
went as softly as he could tread, so as not to raise the dust, and after
taking his seat, waited some time till the air was settled before he
opened his box and went to work; scarcely a breath of air was allowed to
ventilate his painting-room.

DOUW'S WORKS.

Everything that came from his pencil was precious, even in his
life-time. Houbraken says that his great patron, Mr. Spiering the
banker, allowed him one thousand guilders a year, and paid besides
whatever sum he pleased to ask for his pictures, some of which he
purchased for their weight in silver; but Sandrart informs us, with more
probability, that the thousand guilders were paid to Douw by Spiering on
condition that the artist should give him the choice of all the pictures
he painted. The following description of one of Gerhard's most capital
pictures, for a long time in the possession of the family of Van Hoek,
at Amsterdam, will serve to give a good idea of his method of treating
his subjects. The pictu