#the old drinker

MWW Artwork of the Day (3/28/16)
Gabriël Matsu (Dutch, 1629-1667)
The Old Drinker (c. 1657-58)
Oil on panel, 22 x 19.5 cm.
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

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.

Metsu’s most widely acclaimed paintings are the genre pictures, generally depicting a small number of relatively large figures within an upright composition. In addition to his indoor genre scenes Metsu painted a handful of depictions of outdoor markets, a number of religious subjects and portraits, and a few still lifes. His only known pupil was the genre and portrait painter Michiel van Musscher (1645-1705).

(translated from the Museum website)

Metsu is one of the featured artists in the MWW exhibit/gallery:
* Dutch Masters II: Age of the Great Genre Painters (1650-75)