Who painted The Poultry Seller?

The Poultry Seller was painted by Gabriel Metsu in 1662.

Where can I see The Poultry Seller?

The Poultry Seller is held by Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden.

What movement is The Poultry Seller?

The Poultry Seller is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

Artwork

The Poultry Seller

Gabriel Metsu , 1662

The Poultry Seller is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Gabriel Metsu. It dates from 1662 and is held in the collection of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden.

About this work

Overview

Gabriël Metsu’s 1662 oil painting, *The Poultry Seller*, belongs to the Dutch Golden Age’s genre tradition, which favored intimate depictions of daily life. Executed in the later phase of Metsu’s career, the work presents a market‑type encounter rendered with meticulous observation, and it now resides in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister.

Subject & Meaning

The composition centers on an elderly vendor kneeling with a live chicken in one hand while a small dog rests at his feet. Opposite him, a woman in a white dress and red apron holds a basket, surrounded by the carcasses of ducks and a turkey, suggesting a transaction of poultry and the social roles of buyer and seller.

Technique & Style

Metsu employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, allowing the illuminated figures to emerge from a dimly lit interior framed by a shadowed tree and a distant building. The contrast between the man’s weathered attire and the woman’s cleaner garments is achieved through careful brushwork that emphasizes texture and material differences.

History & Provenance

Created in 1662, the painting entered the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, where it remains on display. Its acquisition history is not extensively documented, but it has been attributed to Metsu based on stylistic analysis and archival records linking the work to his late output.

Context

Metsu’s oeuvre spans history paintings, still lifes, portraits, and genre scenes, reflecting a flexible approach rather than a single stylistic allegiance. *The Poultry Seller* exemplifies the mid‑17th‑century Dutch interest in portraying ordinary market activities with a level of detail that conveys both economic and social nuances.