Artwork
The Old Drinker
The Old Drinker is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Gabriel Metsu. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts an elderly man seated at a table, a glass in his hand, conveying a moment of convivial drinking. The scene reflects 17th‑century Dutch genre painting's interest in everyday leisure and the moral undertones associated with revelry. The work is housed in the Rijksmuseum collection, where it is displayed as part of the museum's Dutch Golden Age holdings.
Technique & Style
The medium and support contribute to the work's preservation and the precise rendering of its subject matter.
Gabriel Metsu created The Old Drinker using oil paint applied to a panel support. The work measures 22 cm in height and 19.5 cm in width, reflecting the intimate scale typical of Dutch genre scenes from the mid-seventeenth century. Executed around 1650, the painting demonstrates the artist's handling of oil on a rigid wooden surface, a common technique for small-scale cabinet paintings of the era. The medium and support contribute to the work's preservation and the precise rendering of its subject matter.
History & Provenance
Gabriel Metsu painted The Old Drinker in 1650 as an oil on panel genre scene. The work entered the Rijksmuseum collection and remains on display there, with cataloguing data indicating an inception range spanning 1650 to 1661. Its dimensions measure 22 cm in height by 19.5 cm in width.
The Old Drinker is held by the Rijksmuseum, where it is catalogued under the inventory number SK-A-2851. The painting was created by Gabriel Metsu in 1650 and entered the museum's collection in 1661. It has been displayed in exhibitions focusing on Dutch Golden Age genre scenes at the Rijksmuseum.
The work measures 22 by 19.5 centimeters and is executed in oil paint on panel.
Context
Gabriel Metsu's 1650 painting The Old Drinker depicts an elderly man consuming wine, reflecting 17th-century Dutch genre scenes that often explored moral themes through everyday activities. The work was later acquired by the Rijksmuseum, where it remains on display, establishing its significance within Dutch Golden Age art and genre painting traditions.
Scholarship emphasizes its nuanced characterization and technical execution within Metsu's oeuvre, while its presence in a major national collection underscores its recognized historical and artistic value.
Overview
The Old Drinker is a 17th-century oil painting by Dutch artist Gabriel Metsu, created around 1650. It is a characteristic example of a genre scene, a type of painting that focuses on everyday life.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Gabriël Metsu (1629–1667) was a Dutch painter of history paintings, still lifes, portraits, and genre works.
