Ferdinand Bol, one of Rembrandt’s most successful pupils, based this composition on a well-known episode from an Italian play (Il Pastor Fido) that became immensely popular in the seventeenth-century Dutch theater repertoire. A tragicomedy set in the idyllic wilderness of Arcadia, the play recounts the tale of the shepherd Mirtillo and the nymph Amarillis, who fall in love though she is betrothed to another. In one tantalizing scene, Mirtillo disguises himself as a maiden to compete in a kissing game with Amarillis and her nymphs. The lovers share a passionate kiss and Amarillis declares Mirtillo the winner. Bol’s interpretation delights in the luminous beauty of the luxurious costumes and the craftiness of Mirtillo’s disguise. Amarillis places a flower crown on Mirtillo’s head to match her own, in a delicate gesture that adds to the courtly air of the scene.
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