Ferdinand Bol (1616–1680) was a leading Dutch Golden Age painter who bridged Rembrandt van Rijn’s dramatic realism and Amsterdam’s later taste for polished grandeur. Born in Dordrecht, Bol trained in Rembrandt’s studio, absorbing deep chiaroscuro and psychological intensity. By the 1640s he was working independently in Amsterdam, gaining acclaim for portraits and history subjects that combined warm, Rembrandtesque lighting with clearer, more courtly finish. As civic pride and public commissions grew, Bol adapted his style toward brighter, classicizing Baroque clarity, making him a natural fit for major decorative projects connected to Amsterdam’s new Town Hall (later the Royal Palace). He also painted influential group portraits of civic administrators, capturing the Dutch Republic’s culture of duty, charity, and respectable authority. Bol’s skill was so close to Rembrandt’s early on that some of his works were later misattributed—an accidental compliment to his mastery. Late in life, after marrying a wealthy widow, he largely withdrew from painting, leaving behind a career that perfectly reveals how Dutch artists navigated patronage, reputation, and changing taste.