Gabriël Metsu - A Visit to the Nursery [1661]

Gabriël Metsu - A Visit to the Nursery [1661], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

In an elegantly furnished bedroom the parents of a newborn baby receive a congratulatory visit from a lady. The painting of a storm at sea above the mantlepiece probably refers to the perils of life awaiting the child. The picture is among Metsu's most ambitious and harmonious works. In the seventeenth century it was the subject of a poem by Jan Vos, and in 1721 it was highly praised by Houbraken for the treatment of textures and the lifelike expressions of the figures. The graceful gestures may reflect the influence of Gerard ter Borch.

[Oil on canvas, 77.5 x 81.3 cm]

Gabriel Metsu - The Sick Child [c.1660-65]

Gabriel Metsu - The Sick Child [c.1660-65], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

Dutch Golden Age painters are renowned for their scenes of every-day life, but this one by Gabriel Metsu is highly unusual. The theme of a woman taking care of a child was common, but what is rare about this canvas, however, is the depiction of the pale and sick looking child, hanging almost lifeless on the woman’s lap. The image is so convincing because Metsu portrayed the child so skillfully. He painted the unhealthy hue of its skin perfectly, which is emphasised by the strong colours in the rest of the painting. The composition and the woman’s obvious dedication draw all our attention to the child.

Gabriel Metsu - Two Men with a Sleeping Woman [c.1655-60]

Gabriel Metsu - Two Men with a Sleeping Woman [c.1655-60], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

An inn-keeper's slate, playing cards and a pipe are among the objects on the table. The setting is probably a tavern. The sleeping woman, the innkeeper's wife or a serving maid, has been drinking and smoking. Female drunkenness was a subject of both amusement and moral admonition in 17th-century Dutch genre paintings.

[Oil on oak, 37.1 x 32.4 cm]

Gabriel Metsu - Doctor's Visit [1660s]

Gabriel Metsu - Doctor's Visit [1660s], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

Born in 1629 to a painter and a midwife, Metsu was recorded as a painter at the tender age of 14. The name of his teacher is unknown, but he probably studied for some time under the Utrecht painter Nicolaus Knupfer. In Leiden, Metsu painted mainly large-scale biblical scenes.

In the middle of the 1650s, after his parents had died, Metsu moved to Amsterdam. This shift prompted him to change his specialisation and paint intimate scenes of daily life inspired by Gerrit Dou from Leiden and Gerard ter Borch from Deventer. As Metsu’s style became more meticulous in the 1660s, he focused increasingly on representing the pastimes of the upper class. Towards the end of his life, when he was one of the leading genre painters in Amsterdam, he continued to compete with various contemporaries outside his hometown, including Johannes Vermeer from Delft and Frans van Mieris from Leiden. Metsu had an unrivalled talent for imbuing his figures with humanity and personality. Few of his contemporaries matched his technical virtuosity.

[Oil on canvas, 61.5 x 47.5 cm]

Gabriel Metsu - The Old Drinker [c.1658]

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.