The Apothecary (The Chemist) (1661) is the painting Gabriel Metsu is best remembered for; it belongs to the Louvre'i muuseum, Pariis. Lace-Maker (1648) and Noli me tangere (1667) complete the trio of best-loved canvases. Our catalogue counts 219 works by Gabriel Metsu. Here are the 100 most famous, with the year, the museum and the story of each canvas.
Ranked by our popularity score, which combines the searches, visits and orders for each work. Updated oktoober 2026. Each painting on this page can be ordered as an oil reproduction painted by hand on linen canvas, or as a fine art print, made to the size you choose.
Gabriel Metsu’s “The Apothecary,” painted in Leiden around 1661, isn't merely a portrait; it’s a meticulously crafted snapshot of a specific moment within the vibrant tapestry of 17th-century Holland. More than just depicting a man at his desk, Metsu has created an intimate scene brimming with quiet contemplation and subtle symbolism – a window into the intellectual and domestic life of a Dutch scholar. The painting immediately draws the eye…
A single light source from the upper left falls upon a young woman, pinning her to the center of a quiet room. She sits with a lace pillow for bobbin lace resting on her lap. Her gaze meets the viewer, steady and calm. The heavy drape of her skirt anchors the composition, while the crisp white linen of her collar catches the light. In the shadows behind her, the background…
In this oil on panel from 1667, we find ourselves drawn into a quiet, heavy atmosphere where the boundaries between the earthly and the divine seem to thin. The scene depicts the biblical encounter of Noli me tangere, capturing that precise, fleeting second when the resurrected Christ appears to Mary Magdalene. There is a profound sense of weight in the composition, anchored by two central figures set against a dark,…
The air in the room feels heavy, thick with the scent of old wood and the quiet tension of a game in progress. A group of figures huddles around a table, their bodies leaning inward as if drawn by an invisible force. The light, striking from an unseen source to the left, carves deep shadows into the corners of the room, creating a dramatic chiaroscuro that pulls the viewer into…
A woman stands within a quiet, opulent interior, her presence defined by the cool sheen of a silvery-blue gown. The light enters from the upper left, catching the heavy folds of her satin dress and the metallic glint of her jewelry. She holds a small book, a gesture of private thought or quiet devotion. At her feet, a small spaniel rests, its fur rendered with soft, precise detail against the…
The small canvas known as Boy Stealing an Apple from a Sleeping Woman captures a singular, quiet theft. Painted by Gabriel Metsu in 1662, this genre work focuses on a fleeting moment of domestic mischief. The scale is intimate, measuring 21.5 cm by 29 cm. It holds the viewer close to the table where the action unfolds.
The Old Drinker emerges from the shadows of the seventeenth century, a quiet moment captured in oil on panel. Gabriel Metsu brings this figure to life with a steady hand, fixing the man in a state of drowsy contentment. The work carries a date of about 1657 - 1658, a period when the artist's eye was attuned to the subtle textures of daily existence. Every brushstroke contributes to the weight…
A man and a woman sit in a dimly lit room, centered around a small, cloth-covered table. The scene captures a quiet moment of domesticity, where the focus rests on the simple act of sharing a meal. A single light source from the side casts a strong glow across the white tablecloth, the ceramic pitcher, and the subjects' faces, leaving the background in deep, shadowy greens and blacks. This use…
In the heart of the Dutch Golden Age, a period defined by unprecedented prosperity and a profound fascination with the beauty of everyday life, Gabriel Metsu captured a scene of unparalleled serenity. His masterpiece, "Lady Seated in a Window," painted around 1661, is far more than a mere portrait; it is an invitation into a private, contemplative world. As we gaze upon this exquisite work, we find ourselves drawn to…
In this intimate painting, Old Woman Meditating, Gabriel Metsu invites us into a quiet moment of private reflection. The work is an oil on panel, a medium that allows for a particular level of detail in the rendering of the subject's features and the textures of her surroundings. It is a piece that captures a sense of stillness, focusing on the internal life of the sitter as she engages with…
Gabriel Metsu’s 1661 painting, “Visit to the Nursery, after the Birth of Sara Hinlopen,” isn’t a grand historical scene or a bombastic portrait; it’s something far more intimate…
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A Young Woman Asleep is a painting by the artist Gabriel Metsu. Created in 1656, this work belongs to the genre art category. The subject of the piece…
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A Card Game is a Dutch Golden Age genre painting that captures an intimate moment of leisure within a dimly lit interior. The scene is centered around a…
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The painting titled Kitchen Maid is a work by Gabriel Metsu. It captures a quiet moment of domesticity, frozen in the year 1648. The artist, born in 1629,…
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This intimate Self-portrait by the Dutch painter Gabriel Metsu offers a quiet glimpse into the artist's own presence. Executed in oil on panel, the work possesses a physical…
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In this intimate Dutch Golden Age genre painting, a solitary woman is captured in a moment of repose. Positioned to the right of the center, the seated figure…
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This work, titled Woman Eating, is also known as The Cat’s Breakfast, and it was painted by Gabriël Metsu. Created ca. 1661 - ca. 1664, the piece offers…
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The gunsmith. a blacksmith and his servant working in a blacksmith. The blacksmith hits the anvil with a hammer on a piece of iron. The servant is at…
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We are looking at Smoker with a pipe and a pitcher in his hands, a work by the Dutch artist Gabriel Metsu. This piece was executed in 1662,…
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Gabriel Metsu's "A Young Woman Composing Music," painted around 1662-1663, isn’t merely a depiction of a scene; it’s a carefully constructed tableau brimming with quiet observation and subtle…
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The Kitchenmaid emerges from the quietude of the Dutch Golden Age, a genre painting that captures a singular, suspended moment of domestic life. Created by Gabriel Metsu in…
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In this genre painting, titled Woman Selling Fish, the artist Gabriel Metsu captures a quiet, everyday transaction between two women. The scene is set within an outdoor market,…
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In the heart of the Dutch Golden Age, few works capture the profound tension between worldly temptation and spiritual homecoming as exquisitely as Gabriel Metsu’s The Prodigal Son.…
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The Triumph of Justice emerges from the brush of Gabriel Metsu, a male Dutch painter who captures a profound moral struggle within this oil on canvas. The scene…
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Gabriel Metsu’s “La Peleuse de Pomme,” painted circa 1660, stands as a quintessential example of Dutch Golden Age genre painting—a movement dedicated to portraying scenes from everyday life…
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The Smoker at the Fireside is a genre art painting by the Dutch artist Gabriel Metsu. Executed in 1657, this work offers a quiet glimpse into a private,…
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A Portrait of Metsu's Wife is an oil on panel painting created by the Dutch artist Gabriel Metsu. The work dates to 1660. This portrait focuses on a…
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The Huntsman is a genre painting by Gabriel Metsu, executed in 1661. This oil on panel work belongs to the Dutch Golden Age, a period defined by the…
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Portrait of a Woman as Painter is a work attributed to Gabriel Metsu. Also known as A Supposed Portrait of Metsu's Mother, the piece offers a glimpse into…
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In "Woman with a book on her lap and a dog besides her" by Gabriel Metsu, the composition centers on a woman positioned slightly to the right. A…
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Woman at her Toilette, painted in 1656, is a work by Gabriel Metsu. The artist was born in Leiden, Netherlands, in 1629 and died in 1667.
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Gabriel Metsu's "The Letter Writer Surprised," painted around 1660, isn’t merely a depiction of domesticity; it’s a carefully constructed tableau brimming with quiet observation and subtle social commentary.…
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The Note is an oil on canvas work by the Dutch artist Gabriel Metsu. Created in 1650, this piece belongs to the genre painting tradition of the Dutch…
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The painting Girl at the Mirror was executed by Gabriel Metsu in 1662. This Dutch Golden Age genre work captures a young woman in a quiet, private moment…
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The Hunter's Present is an oil on canvas painting by Gabriel Metsu. Measuring 51 x 48 cm, the work belongs to the Dutch Golden Age. It is currently…
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A Woman seated at a Table and a Man tuning a Violin is an oil on canvas created by Gabriel Metsu. The work dates to about 1658. This…
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In this intimate scene, we find an elderly man seated by a window, his attention entirely captured by the document held in his hands. The light enters from…
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The painting titled An Old Woman with a Book is a work by the artist Gabriel Metsu. This oil on canvas object is classified as genre art. It…
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To gaze upon Gabriel Metsu’s The Hunter's Gift is to step across the threshold and into a moment suspended in time—a tableau vivant steeped in the quiet richness…
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Gabriel Metsu’s Woman Reading a Book by a Window: A Portrait of Quiet Contemplation Gabriel Metsu (1629 – 1667), a Dutch painter hailing from Leiden, stands as an…
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In the quiet, amber-hued corners of seventeenth-century Dutch life, few artists captured the delicate tension between private ritual and social observation as masterfully as Gabriel Metsu. His 1648…
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In the soft, amber glow of a seventeenth-century Dutch interior, a single moment of domesticity is elevated to the level of high art. Gabriel Metsu’s "Woman Peeling an…
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In the soft, amber glow of a seventeenth-century interior, Gabriel Metsu captures a moment of profound stillness that transcends the centuries. An Old Woman Asleep is not merely…
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The quiet intimacy of Man Writing a Letter by Gabriel Metsu invites us into a private moment frozen in time. Created in 1662, this oil on panel painting…
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The portrait titled An old man holding a pipe and a jug (Smoker) captures a singular moment of stillness. Created by Gabriel Metsu, the work is also recognized…
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Gabriel Metsu's "Soldier Paying a Visit to a Young Lady," painted circa 1660-61, isn’t merely a portrait; it’s a meticulously crafted tableau of domesticity and quiet observation, a…
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An old woman reads sitting in a chair from a book. She uses glasses in her right hand to read the text.
Bring this light home →The four subjects that return most often on these canvases, each with its best-loved example.
The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Gabriel Metsu | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Rijksmuseum |
Amsterdam | 9 | The Old Drinker, Man and woman sharing a meal, Woman Eating |
 Louvre'i muuseum |
Pariis | 14 | The Apothecary (The Chemist), LA PELEUSE DE POMME, L'APOTHICAIRE, DIT AUSSI LE CHIMISTE |
 Mauritshuis |
Haag | 4 | A Young Woman Composing Music, The Triumph of Justice, The Huntsman |
 Rahvusmuuseum Varssavis |
Varssavi | 3 | Card players, Smoker with a pipe and a pitcher in his hands, An old man holding a pipe and a jug (Smoker) |
 Statens Museum For Kunst |
Kooberemaa | 3 | Boy Stealing an Apple from a Sleeping Woman, A Sleeping Saleswoman, Portrait of a Man |
 Gemäldegalerie |
Berliin | 3 | The Cook, The Pancake Baker with a Boy, The Duet |
 Metropolitan Museum of Art |
New York | 7 | Lady Seated in a Window, Visit to the Nursery, after the Birth of Sara Hinlopen |
 Hermitage muuseum |
Stiiitlinburg | 6 | Lace-Maker, The Prodigal Son |
A single light source from the upper left falls upon a young woman, pinning her to the center of a quiet room. She sits with a lace pillow…
The air in the room feels heavy, thick with the scent of old wood and the quiet tension of a game in progress. A group of figures huddles…
Gabriel Metsu’s “The Apothecary,” painted in Leiden around 1661, isn't merely a portrait; it’s a meticulously crafted snapshot of a specific moment within the vibrant tapestry of 17th-century…
The Apothecary (The Chemist) (1661), Louvre'i muuseum, Pariis. Lace-Maker (1648) and Noli me tangere (1667) follow.
Gabriel Metsu, born in 1629, was 32 years old: The Apothecary (The Chemist) dates from 1661.
The Apothecary (The Chemist), Lace-Maker, Noli me tangere, Card players, Portrait of Lucia Wijbrants (1638-1719), Boy Stealing an Apple from a Sleeping Woman, The Old Drinker, Man and woman sharing a meal, Lady Seated in a Window and Old Woman Meditating. Each canvas in the ranking above comes with its year and its museum.
219 works by Gabriel Metsu are in our catalogue, dated 1640 to 1667.
Mostly in Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam), Louvre'i muuseum (Pariis) and Mauritshuis (Haag); the list above names each museum and its canvases.
In 1650s, which gave 48 of the 100 works on this page, Card players among them.
The earliest canvas here is The Prodigal Son (1640); the latest is Noli me tangere (1667).
Woman (24), Table (12) and Man (11), across the 100 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, used in 22 of the 100 works on this page.
Baroque and Dutch baroque, as the canvases on this page show.
The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam holds 7 of the works on this page, among them The Old Drinker, Man and woman sharing a meal and Woman Eating.
Yes. Every painting on this page can be ordered from its own page as an oil reproduction painted by hand, or as a fine art print, in the size you choose.
