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Gabriel Metsu
Rediscovered Master of the Dutch Golden Age
4 SEPTEMBER - 5 DECEMBER
2010
Organised
by the
National Gallery of Ireland
in association with the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, and the National
Gallery of Art, Washington.
This spectacular exhibition
pays homage to the remarkable painter Gabriel Metsu (1629-1667).
It brings together some 40 of the artist's finest and most celebrated
works from all phases of his career, including a number of recently
discovered and restored works.
Despite his untimely
death at the age of thirty-seven, Metsu produced one of the most
awe-inspiring oeuvres by any painter of the Dutch Golden Age. Most
of his works are exquisite scenes of everyday life which reflect
his admiration for his contemporaries, including Gerard ter Borch,
Gerrit Dou and Johannes Vermeer.
Metsu had an unrivalled
talent for imbuing his figures with humanity and personality. His
engaging genre scenes provide a window onto life in seventeenth-century
Holland, from the quarrels in the neighbourhood street market to
the amorous affairs of the upper class. The works in the exhibition
are drawn from private and public collections around the world:
The Louvre, Paris; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; National
Gallery of Art, Washington; The Prado, Madrid; Staatliche Kunstsammlungen,
Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden; The National Gallery,
London; Pinacoteca Capitolina, Rome, as well as several works from
The Netherlands (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; Stedelijk Museum De Lakenhal,
Leiden; Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis, The Hague). The exhibition
also features the Gallery's own companion pieces, A Man Writing
a Letter and A Woman Reading a Letter, generally considered
to be the artist's most renowned works. Examples of Metsu's lesser
known yet wonderfully accomplished achievements in the fields of
religious painting, portraiture and still life are also highlighted.
Beit Wing. Admission:
€7 & €4 concessions
A full complement of
ancillary events and activities will take place around the exhibition
from September to December. See information panel below or visit
www.gabrielmetsuexhibition.com
Exhibition Information
Visit www.gabrielmetsuexhibition.com.
Tickets & Booking
Adult €7; €4 concession. Family and group concessions
available. A timed-ticketing system will be in operation for this
exhibition.
Telephone (01) 663 3513 or email metsu@ngi.ie.
Audio Guide
The exhibition audio guide is produced by Acoustiguide and narrated
by Fiona Shaw (free with ticket admission). For this exhibition,
the Gallery is using the new Opus Click audio guide, which
comprises a colour screen with a numeric keypad and a flip up/down
speaker.
Catalogue
The exhibition catalogue, 'Gabriel Metsu', is edited by Adriaan
E. Waiboer (NGI curator of the exhibition). Published by the National
Gallery of Ireland in association with Yale University Press (price
€29.95pb, Gallery Shop). The catalogue is beautifully illustrated
throughout and includes essays on various aspects of Metsu's life
and work, with contributions from Wayne E. Franits (Syracuse University),
Linda Stone-Ferrier (University of Kansas), E. Melanie Gifford (National
Gallery of Art, Washington), Pieter Roelofs, Bianca M. du Mortier
and Marijn Schapelhouman (Rikjsmuseum, Amsterdam).
Teachers & Schools
Teacher's Exhibition Notes and Activity Sheets
are available from the Education Department. Admission is free on
a guided tour for pre-booked primary and secondary school groups.
Book three weeks in advance: telephone (01) 663 3510 or email tours@ngi.ie.
Exhibition Talks
Dr Adriaan Waiboer will give an introduction to the exhibition on
Sunday 5 September at 3pm (Lecture Theatre, admission free). The
lecture series continues throughout the autumn.
Study Morning
Discovering Masters of the Dutch Golden Age
Saturday 4 December, 10.00am-1.30pm
Tickets (€25.00) are available in the Gallery Shop (includes
coffee break and tour of the exhibition).
For a full programme see www.nationalgallery.ie.
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