Pair of 'exquisite' 17th century Dutch paintings reunited after nearly four centuries

They are both masterworks by the 17th century Dutch painter Gerrit Dou. But for centuries, no one has been able to see them as the artist first intended: hanging together. That is, until now. 

The paintings Young Lady Playing the Virginal, and its sister work, A Woman Playing a Clavichord will both be on display in a new exhibition at the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London. 

"He was a very meticulous painter ... he failed as a portrait painter because it took him so long to paint people's portraits."- Curator Helen Hillyard 

Helen Hillyard is the assistant curator at the gallery. She tells As It Happens guest host Susan Bonner, "It's very exciting because they haven't been displayed together for close to 351 years. They were last shown in an exhibition in 1665."

Dou was a student of Rembrandt, and is considered one of the finest artists of his age. But he had a tendency to be obsessive, a quality that can be seen in the two paintings.

"He was a very meticulous painter," says Hillyard. "According to accounts he failed as a portrait painter because it took him so long to paint people's portraits."

The two paintings were originally shown in a solo exhibition by Dou's patron Johannes Hannot. But since then, the paths diverged for the two works.

A Woman Playing a Clavichord remained in Europe, while the other painting made its way to the United States, where it was sold at auction in New York for $3.3 million dollars. 

Hillyard says viewers will want to spend time savouring the attention to detail evident in the two paintings. 

"They are just filled with these beautiful and exquisite details," she says. "Examples of still life, musical instruments, glass, which are all meticulously painted."

For more on the paintings' history, take a listen to our full interview. Here are higher resolution images of the two works: