Half-length portrait of David Bles (1821-1899), painter

Bart van Hove (1850–1914). David Joseph Bles (1821–1899). Marble. David Bles, here immortalized in a marble bust, managed to introduce a humorous note into most of his prints and paintings. His painting Zo de ouden zongen, piepen de jongen (as the old sing, twitter the young) can be seen in the Rijksmuseum. Bart van Hove executed the work on the occasion of David Bles's 70th birthday. Van Hove himself was best known for the ornamental sculptures which he did to decorate the Rijksmuseum building.