Gabriel Metsu (1629 - 1667)

Metsu is known for his small-scale, meticulously elaborated genre paintings, which place him among the Leiden fine painters ("fijnschilders"). It is uncertain whether he received training from Gerrit Dou (1613–1675), as Arnold Houbraken (1660–1719) mentions. He joined the Leiden painters’ guild in 1648, and two years later took instruction from the German-Dutch painter Nicolaes Knüpfer (1603–1655). In 1654 Metsu moved to Amsterdam, where he was given citizenship. His painting style changed under the influence of Jan Vermeer (1632–1657), Gerard ter Borch (1617–1681) and Frans van Mieris the Elder (1635–1681).

Author: Habersatter Thomas

Literature: Ducke Astrid, Habersatter Thomas (Hrsg./Edi.): von | from 0 auf | to 100. Residenzgalerie Salzburg 1923-2023. Salzburg 2023, S./p. 172