Petronella Elias (1648–1667) with a Basket of Fruit

Ferdinand Bol's portrait of Petronella Elias from 1657 shows one of Rembrandt's most gifted pupils in his mature period, working in the grand portrait manner he had developed partly by absorbing and then moderating his master's dramatic approach. Bol's portraits of wealthy Amsterdam citizens combine the psychological penetration he learned from Rembrandt with a more conventional elegance suitable to the self-presentation of the commercial elite, who wanted dignity and refinement rather than the probing intensity that sometimes made Rembrandt's portraits uncomfortable. The young girl with her basket of fruit is depicted with warmth and careful attention to the textures of her dress and the soft modeling of her face, demonstrating Bol's consummate technical skill in the Dutch tradition of depicting children as specific individuals rather than generalized symbols of childhood.

Bol's oil-on-canvas technique shows his mature synthesis of Rembrandtesque warmth with a more refined, fashionable surface. The careful rendering of both the sitter's features and the fruit basket demonstrates his dual skill in portraiture and still life painting.