The Artist as the Prodigal Son, 1661
© Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden.
Photographers: Hans-Peter Klut and Elke Estel

A Baker Blowing his Horn, c.1660-3
Private Collection. Photo © Mike
Fear

Gabriel Metsu (1629-1667), The Intruder, c.1661-3
Image Courtesy of the Board of Trustees,
National Gallery of Art, Washington

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.