Gabriel Metsu

Self-Portrait, 1657

Years of life:	1682 – 1749
Artist's Teachers:	Gerrit Dou, Nikolaus Knüpfer
Artist's students:	Michiel van Musscher, Adrian Isaac
Art Movement:	Baroque, Dutch Golden Age
Painting School:	Dutch School, Leiden School

Genre:	Portrait , Religious , Still-life , Genre scenes
Country:	Netherlands
Century:	XVII

The artist achieved great mastery of the courtyard scenes. His paintings depict scenes of the well-ordered life of the Dutch households. Many of the details are symbolic; if there is lettering or a document, it is meant to be read as part of the meaning of the picture.

Note that the artist loves dark interiors rooms with closed windows and curtains or dark corners.

Gabriel Metsu’s major works are The Prodigal Son, 1640s (St. Petersburg: Hermitage Museum); A Soldier Visiting a Young Lady, 1653 (Paris: Musée du Louvre); A Dead Cock, c. 1655–59 (Madrid: Museo del Prado).

References:

Robert Cumming. Art: complete encyclopedia. – 512 p. – Moscow: Astrel, 2005.

Artworks:

Old Woman Meditating

1660 - 1662

Old Woman Meditating • 1660 - 1662
Woman Eating, Known as The Cat's Breakfast

1662 - 1665

Woman Eating, Known as The Cat's Breakfast • 1662 - 1665
A Young Woman Composing Music

1662 - 1663

A Young Woman Composing Music • 1662 - 1663
The Armorer

1650 - 1660

The Armorer • 1650 - 1660
The Sick Child

1660

The Sick Child • 1660
The Old Drinker

1657 - 1658

The Old Drinker • 1657 - 1658
A Baker Blowing his Horn

1660

A Baker Blowing his Horn • 1660
Man Writing a Letter

1665

Man Writing a Letter • 1665
Woman Reading a Letter

1665

Woman Reading a Letter • 1665
Christ on the Cross

1664

Christ on the Cross • 1664
Woman at her Toilette

1656

Woman at her Toilette • 1656
Head of a Black Woman

1667

Head of a Black Woman • 1667
Woman Cleaning a Fish, with a Cat

1650

Woman Cleaning a Fish, with a Cat • 1650
Young Woman at a Window

1660s

Young Woman at a Window • 1660s
Young Woman Seated in an Interior, Reading a Letter

1659

Young Woman Seated in an Interior, Reading a Letter • 1659
Two Men with a Sleeping Woman

1653

Two Men with a Sleeping Woman • 1653
A Young Lady Drawing

1655-1660

A Young Lady Drawing • 1655-1660
Hunter Getting Dressed after Bathing

1654–1656

Hunter Getting Dressed after Bathing • 1654–1656
The Alms

1658

The Alms • 1658
Breakfast

1660

Breakfast • 1660
A Girl Receiving a Letter

1658

A Girl Receiving a Letter • 1658
A Musical Party

1659

A Musical Party • 1659
A Boy Stealing and Apple from a Sleeping Woman

1662

A Boy Stealing and Apple from a Sleeping Woman • 1662
A Kitchenmaid preparing Carrots

1657

A Kitchenmaid preparing Carrots • 1657
Lovers at Breakfast

1661

Lovers at Breakfast • 1661
The herring merchant

between 1661 and 1662

The herring merchant • between 1661 and 1662
The Hunter’s Present

between 1658 and 1661

The Hunter’s Present • between 1658 and 1661
A Young Woman Asleep

1656

A Young Woman Asleep • 1656
The Duet or Le Corset Bleu

1661

The Duet or Le Corset Bleu • 1661
A Lady at Her Toilet

1648 – 1667

A Lady at Her Toilet • 1648 – 1667
A Young Lady at Breakfast

1665

A Young Lady at Breakfast • 1665
Woman at the virginal

1662

Woman at the virginal • 1662
The Kitchenmaid

1656

The Kitchenmaid • 1656
The Cook

between 1657 and 1667

The Cook • between 1657 and 1667
Lady, feeding her little dog

1660

Lady, feeding her little dog • 1660
Lady at a Virginal

between 1660 and 1667

Lady at a Virginal • between 1660 and 1667
A Lady with a Dog (Le Corset Rouge)

1663

A Lady with a Dog (Le Corset Rouge) • 1663
Lot and his daughters

1655

Lot and his daughters • 1655
The Smoker at the Fireside

1657

The Smoker at the Fireside • 1657
Noli me tangere

1667

Noli me tangere • 1667
Old Woman Eating Porridge

1656

Old Woman Eating Porridge • 1656
Playing cards

between 1650 and 1675

Playing cards • between 1650 and 1675
Portrait of a Woman Artist at her Easel

1660

Portrait of a Woman Artist at her Easel • 1660
Portrait of a Forty-Year-Old Woman, possibly Marretje Cornelisdr. van Grotewal

1658

Portrait of a Forty-Year-Old Woman, possibly Marretje Cornelisdr. van Grotewal • 1658
A Self-Portrait

1657

A Self-Portrait • 1657
The Cello Player

1658

The Cello Player • 1658
The Lacemaker

between 1629 and 1667

The Lacemaker • between 1629 and 1667
The Note

The Note
The Pancake Baker with a Boy

between 1655 and 1658

The Pancake Baker with a Boy • between 1655 and 1658
The Old Smoker

1656

The Old Smoker • 1656
The Triumph of Justice

between 1655 and 1660

The Triumph of Justice • between 1655 and 1660
The Music Lesson

between 1659 and 1662

The Music Lesson • between 1659 and 1662
An Old Woman Cooking Pancakes

between 1653 and 1658

An Old Woman Cooking Pancakes • between 1653 and 1658
Woman in Agony (the Death of Sophonisba)

1660s

Woman in Agony (the Death of Sophonisba) • 1660s
The Poultry Seller

1662

The Poultry Seller • 1662
A Woman Seated at a Window

1661

A Woman Seated at a Window • 1661
The Apothecary

between 1650 and 1675

The Apothecary • between 1650 and 1675
The Hunter and a Woman

The Hunter and a Woman
Doctor's Visit

between 1660 and 1667

Doctor's Visit • between 1660 and 1667
The Sleeping Sportsman

between 1657 and 1659

The Sleeping Sportsman • between 1657 and 1659
The Vegetable Market in Amsterdam

between 1660 and 1661

The Vegetable Market in Amsterdam • between 1660 and 1661
Girl at the Mirror

1662

Girl at the Mirror • 1662
A Woman at Her Mirror

1656

A Woman at Her Mirror • 1656
Man and Woman Sitting at the Virginal

between 1658 and 1660

Man and Woman Sitting at the Virginal • between 1658 and 1660
An Old Woman Selling Fish

1660

An Old Woman Selling Fish • 1660
An Old Woman with a Book

1660

An Old Woman with a Book • 1660
Girl Peeling Apples

1660s

Girl Peeling Apples • 1660s
The Letter-Writer Surprised

1662

The Letter-Writer Surprised • 1662
The Poultry Woman

1662

The Poultry Woman • 1662
Dead Cock

1659 — 1660

Dead Cock • 1659 — 1660
Woman cleaning fish

1658

Woman cleaning fish • 1658
An Old Woman at Her Meal in an Interior

1657

An Old Woman at Her Meal in an Interior • 1657
A Young Woman Pouring Beer and a Young Man Smoking

1657

A Young Woman Pouring Beer and a Young Man Smoking • 1657
A Woman Selling Game from a Stall

1654

A Woman Selling Game from a Stall • 1654
Man visiting Woman washing her hands

between 1662 and 1664

Man visiting Woman washing her hands • between 1662 and 1664
As the old sing, so pipe the young

1656

As the old sing, so pipe the young • 1656
Man and woman having a meal

between 1650 and 1660

Man and woman having a meal • between 1650 and 1660
Man writing a letter

1664-1666

Man writing a letter • 1664-1666
An old man holding a pipe and a jug (Smoker)

1662

An old man holding a pipe and a jug (Smoker) • 1662
Portrait of Jan Jacobsz. Hinlopen and His Family

1675

Portrait of Jan Jacobsz. Hinlopen and His Family • 1675
Twelfth Night

1654

Twelfth Night • 1654
Woman washing textiles in a tub

from 1600 until 1650 / 1656

Woman washing textiles in a tub • from 1600 until 1650 / 1656
The herring seller

1660

The herring seller • 1660
Interior with a Lady at a Spinet and a Gentleman Offering Her a Glass of Wine

1666

Interior with a Lady at a Spinet and a Gentleman Offering Her a Glass of Wine • 1666
Self-portrait

1658

Self-portrait • 1658
The Tête-à-Tête: A Lady Playing a Lute, and a Cavalier

1665

The Tête-à-Tête: A Lady Playing a Lute, and a Cavalier • 1665
The Dismissal of Hagar

1653-1654

The Dismissal of Hagar • 1653-1654
The visit to the nursery

1661

The visit to the nursery • 1661
Woman feeding a cat

between 1661 and 1664

Woman feeding a cat • between 1661 and 1664
Prodigal Son

1649

Prodigal Son • 1649
Woman offering a glass of wine to a man

1659

Woman offering a glass of wine to a man • 1659
Woman reading a book by a window

1667

Woman reading a book by a window • 1667
Woman Reading a Letter

1665

Woman Reading a Letter • 1665
The Interior of a Smithy

1657

The Interior of a Smithy • 1657
Young Couple at Breakfast

1667

Young Couple at Breakfast • 1667
A Card Game

late 1650s

A Card Game • late 1650s
Portrait of Lucia Wijbrants (1638-1719)

1667

Portrait of Lucia Wijbrants (1638-1719) • 1667
The Huntsman

1661

The Huntsman • 1661
The Intruder

1661

The Intruder • 1661
Weeping Woman in a Blacksmith’s Shop

Weeping Woman in a Blacksmith’s Shop