The National Gallery of Ireland anticipates international interest in an exhibition devoted to Dutch painter Gabriel Metsu.
The new exhibition at the National Gallery of Ireland features 40 works from the Dutch artist Gabriel Metsu, who is regarded as one of the most important painters of the 17th century.
The exhibition titled 'Gabriel Metsu: Rediscovered Master of the Dutch Golden Age' was formally opened by Mary Hanafin, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport.
Among the paintings on show are the companion pieces, 'A Man Writing a Letter' and 'A Woman Reading a Letter', which are considered to be the artist's most renowned works. These are part of the National Gallery of Ireland's permanent collection. Curator of the exhibition, Dr Adriaan Waiboer, describes these works as incredibly beautiful and among the gallery's favourite paintings.
It's like the Vermeer or the Caravaggio.
'The Sick Child' painting is one of the most iconic images of parental devotion in Dutch art. According to Dr Waiboer, the viewer feels an empathy with the child, an emotion which is not felt so much with Metsu's contemporary Johannes Vermeer.
This is the first time that these works have been put on public display together.
The exhibition at the National Gallery of Ireland runs until December before travelling to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the National Gallery of Art in Washington.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 3 September 2010. The reporter is Philip Bromwell.
