Drinking Wine: Paintings by Gabriël Metsu

A Man and a Woman At Wine by Gabriël Metsu 

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Interior with a Lady at a Spinet and a Gentleman Offering
her a Glass of Wine by Metsu

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The Wine Drinker by Metsu

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Woman Offering a Glass of Wine to a Man by Metsu

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Breakfast by Metsu

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Among the many painters of the Dutch Golden Age, Gabriël Metsu (1629-1667) has always appealed to me. I like all the details in his paintings: the furniture, the beautiful dresses and jackets that the women wear, and the little stories implied by the actions of the women and men in the paintings. Today I have chosen several paintings where the subjects were drinking wine, a very enjoyable choice of themes. I especially like seeing the wine glasses, jugs, and other vessels in use in these paintings, and seeing the affection between people who are sharing food and drink.

Metsu created a very large number of works, though he is not as famous as some of the other Golden Age painters, such as Vermeer (1632-1675), Rembrandt (1606-1669) or Carl Fabritius (1622-1654). However, I've always been very fond of his works. Some of Metsu's paintings, like those of his contemporaries, refer to popular stories or allegorical "emblems" that were well-known in his time but are no longer so familiar.

Unlike the painters of the early 20th century, who often lived an artistic lifestyle, especially in the more impoverished and Bohemian neighborhoods of Paris, the Dutch Golden Age painters belonged to the class that made a living from crafts and businesses. Painters like Metsu made family portraits for wealthy or upper-middle-class people, and produced works that were appreciated for their decorative value in the beautifully furnished homes of well-off craftsmen, manufacturers, and merchants. The settings of the paintings are often in such homes, showing rich furnishings and carpets.

The first time that I became aware of the work of Metsu was when I saw the following painting in the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco:

Woman Playing a Viola de Gamba by Metsu

This blog post by mae sander, to be shared with the bloggers at Elizabeth's Altered Book Lover. With sadness, this post is now dedicated to Eileen, who often shared her blog posts with Elizabeth and the others. Eileen told us about having surgery a couple of weeks ago, and tragically, she didn’t make it. I especially send condolences to the bloggers who knew her better and longer than I did.