Gabriel Metsu, who died in 1667 at the young age of 37, has had his status re-evaluated a number of times in the intervening centuries; Adriaan Waiboer provides an expert insight into the subject of the National Gallery of Ireland’s tribute exhibition.
The National Gallery of Ireland currently hosts the exhibition Gabriel Metsu: Rediscovered Master of the Dutch Golden Age. The show is an homage to an artist whose name is not widely known today, but who was one of the finest genre painters of his time, on par with Gerard ter Borch, Gerrit Dou, Frans van Mieris and Johannes Vermeer. Metsu’s works provide a unique window onto life in 17th-century Holland, ranging from the quarrels in street markets to the amorous affairs of the upper class. Comprising some forty paintings and drawings, the show includes Metsu’s finest works, while giving a representative overview of his entire oeuvre.
Janet Mullarney’s sculptures perform as metaphors, not portraits, writes Cliodhna Shaffrey