Artwork
The Young Woman selling Poultry
The Young Woman selling Poultry 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
The Young Woman selling Poultry is a 1662 oil painting by Gabriel Metsu, a Dutch artist known for his work across multiple genres.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a young woman handling poultry in a dimly lit room, accompanied by an older man and a dog. The scene is a genre painting, a common type in 17th-century Dutch art, often used to represent everyday life.
Technique & Style
The painting features a use of chiaroscuro, a technique also employed by Rembrandt, to create a quiet and intimate atmosphere. The artist's attention to detail is evident in the rendering of the scene, including the textures of the clothing and the still life elements.
History & Provenance
The Young Woman selling Poultry is part of the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister collection. It is one of the dated works by Metsu, whose output was relatively small, with only 14 of his 133 known works bearing dates.
Artist & collection
Artist
Gabriël Metsu (1629–1667) was a Dutch painter of history paintings, still lifes, portraits, and genre works.
