On this minuscule panel, measuring just 22 x 19.5 cm, Gabriël Metsu painted with minute detail this everyday scene of an old man with his Gouda pipe and his pewter jar leaning on against a beer barrel. The old drinker looks rather the worse for wear; he sags rather than sits on the chair as he peers through his watery eyes, his chin unshaven, his collar open and his cap askew. Metsu presents the man with a direct honesty and realism that is not in fact harsh; the smile and the friendly eyes of the old drinker lend a certain sympathetic quality. In the seventeenth century, there was a belief that smoking and drinking in excess accelerated the aging process. Paintings of 'old drinkers' are often a reference to this idea. This work is perhaps a warning to avoid excessive indulgence in alcohol and tobacco.
Metsu shows the details of the drinker's surroundings with great finesse: the pewter jug, the felt buttoned coat, the fur trimming of the cap and the German stoneware pitcher. Beside the pitcher is a slate on which the number of beers is chalked up. The sign of a red deer is painted on the keg, a rather vague detail against a brown background. This was the trademark of the Amsterdam brewery 't Roo Hart (Red Deer). Around 1650 Metsu lived on Prinsengracht, near this brewery. The deer is a subtle aside in which the painter has quietly advertised his neighbour's business.
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