Gabriël Metsu and the gentle art of letter writing
Boom or bust
Letter writing is a highly personalised, private form of communication, capable of delivering pleasure, pain and a full spectrum of emotion [1]. But in a world that has become increasingly dependent on electronic communications, letters have largely fallen out of fashion. Setting a pen to paper, getting the letter stamped and physically posting it is now seen by many as too laborious, too slow, too formal and even too expensive, and as requiring too high an emphasis on literary skills and a too-long attention span.
In this article, we will be travelling back to the 17th century Dutch “Golden Age” [2] to discover a very different world, where the use of personally written correspondence was enjoying a boom among the literate upper classes. Facilitated by recent advances in the postal system and the publication of letter-writing manuals, private letters acquired a “profound significance, especially for women. Letters allowed women to cultivate personal expression and maintain connections across distances, granting them a voice and influence in a world where their roles were otherwise limited... For many Dutch women, letters provided a way to manage social, economic, and emotional bonds -- acting as a substitute for physical presence and often a medium for discussing matters of business, family, or affection” [3].
Love letters had special significance here, as they were intertwined with the norms of courtship and marriage. As Jonathan Janson points out, “It was an era when marriage was often a carefully negotiated matter involving families and social networks, yet private expressions of affection played a key role in bonding couples. For many, love letters were one of the few avenues for direct and unmediated communication between romantic partners, providing them with a space to articulate their feelings. Such letters ranged from cautious, formal expressions of interest to passionate declarations of love” [4].
In this article, we will be travelling back to the 17th century Dutch “Golden Age” [2] to discover a very different world, where the use of personally written correspondence was enjoying a boom among the literate upper classes. Facilitated by recent advances in the postal system and the publication of letter-writing manuals, private letters acquired a “profound significance, especially for women. Letters allowed women to cultivate personal expression and maintain connections across distances, granting them a voice and influence in a world where their roles were otherwise limited... For many Dutch women, letters provided a way to manage social, economic, and emotional bonds -- acting as a substitute for physical presence and often a medium for discussing matters of business, family, or affection” [3].
Love letters had special significance here, as they were intertwined with the norms of courtship and marriage. As Jonathan Janson points out, “It was an era when marriage was often a carefully negotiated matter involving families and social networks, yet private expressions of affection played a key role in bonding couples. For many, love letters were one of the few avenues for direct and unmediated communication between romantic partners, providing them with a space to articulate their feelings. Such letters ranged from cautious, formal expressions of interest to passionate declarations of love” [4].
Letter writing in art
Given this background, it is perhaps not surprising that Dutch artists were the first Europeans to introduce depictions of letter writing as the central focus of many of their paintings [5]. This trend started in a major way with Gerard ter Borch in mid-century (Fig 1).
Fig 1: Gerard ter Borch, Woman Writing a Letter (1655)
Ter Borch's lead was enthusiastically embraced by two other superbly talented Dutch artists, Jan Vermeer and Gabriel Metsu [6]. Of these two, Vermeer would go on to paint various aspects of letter writing six times, nearly one fifth of his total lifetime output [7] (Fig 2).
Fig 2: Jan Vermeer, Lady with her Maidservant Holding a Letter (1667)
Metsu went even further than Vermeer, producing no fewer than nine images of men or women reading or writing love letters [8]. For modern viewers it may come a surprise that during their lifetimes -- they were exact contemporaries -- Metsu was actually held in the higher regard, and this view persisted for at least two centuries after they died [9], with Metsu’s reputation only being far surpassed by Vermeer in more recent times [10].
In this article we shall be focusing on two of Metsu’s letter paintings, regarded as his masterpieces, which he created in 1666 at the height of his career -- only about a year before he died at the young age of 37. The two paintings are generally treated as a themed pair, one depicting the writing of a letter by a man and the other depicting the receipt of that same letter by a woman. Their treatment as a pair is supported by the fact that they were painted closely in time, have virtually identical dimensions [11], and have always been owned or exhibited as a pair. They also share in similar type of setting, with both being lit from a window, with tiled floors and whitewashed walls hung with paintings [12]. Both paintings, incidentally, were among artworks stolen from Russborough House in 1974 and again in 1986, but were eventually recovered. They have since been donated to the National Gallery of Ireland, where they now hang.
It's likely that Metsu borrowed this idea for a themed pair from ter Borch, who had painted a similar pair shortly before [13].
Metsu went even further than Vermeer, producing no fewer than nine images of men or women reading or writing love letters [8]. For modern viewers it may come a surprise that during their lifetimes -- they were exact contemporaries -- Metsu was actually held in the higher regard, and this view persisted for at least two centuries after they died [9], with Metsu’s reputation only being far surpassed by Vermeer in more recent times [10].
In this article we shall be focusing on two of Metsu’s letter paintings, regarded as his masterpieces, which he created in 1666 at the height of his career -- only about a year before he died at the young age of 37. The two paintings are generally treated as a themed pair, one depicting the writing of a letter by a man and the other depicting the receipt of that same letter by a woman. Their treatment as a pair is supported by the fact that they were painted closely in time, have virtually identical dimensions [11], and have always been owned or exhibited as a pair. They also share in similar type of setting, with both being lit from a window, with tiled floors and whitewashed walls hung with paintings [12]. Both paintings, incidentally, were among artworks stolen from Russborough House in 1974 and again in 1986, but were eventually recovered. They have since been donated to the National Gallery of Ireland, where they now hang.
It's likely that Metsu borrowed this idea for a themed pair from ter Borch, who had painted a similar pair shortly before [13].
Fig 3: Gabriël Metsu, Man Writing a Letter (1666) National Gallery of Ireland
The man writing the letter…
The first painting (Fig 3) depicts a long-haired young man sitting at a table that is covered with a beautifully-detailed oriental carpet and a silver inkstand. His expression is thoughtful as he writes a letter with a quill pen. Sunlight streams in through the open leaded window.
We don’t know who the man is, but he is expensively dressed, with a black jacket over his white neckerchief and shirt. His beribboned black hat hangs on the back of his chair. On the wall behind him is a painting of a pastoral scene in an ornate gilt frame crested by a carved dove [14]. On the left, seen through the glass of the open window, there is a glimpse of a globe, a reminder of the prominent Dutch role in exploration and international trade at this time. On the floor are expensive imported black and white tiles in a diamond pattern. Unobtrusive Delft tiles at the base of the wall feature a variety of birds.
We don’t know who the man is, but he is expensively dressed, with a black jacket over his white neckerchief and shirt. His beribboned black hat hangs on the back of his chair. On the wall behind him is a painting of a pastoral scene in an ornate gilt frame crested by a carved dove [14]. On the left, seen through the glass of the open window, there is a glimpse of a globe, a reminder of the prominent Dutch role in exploration and international trade at this time. On the floor are expensive imported black and white tiles in a diamond pattern. Unobtrusive Delft tiles at the base of the wall feature a variety of birds.
Fig 4: Gabriël Metsu, Woman Reading a Letter (1666) National Gallery of Ireland
… and the woman reading it
In the companion painting (Fig 4), a young woman sits on a raised platform, next to a window with a blue curtain. Her sewing basket is beside her on the platform. She is wearing a white cap, a yellow ermine-trimmed jacket and a long peach silk skirt. A red and blue sewing cushion is on her lap [15]. She has interrupted her sewing to read the letter, and has dropped her thimble, just visible on the grey tiled floor at lower right. She reads intently, holding the letter up to catch the light, or perhaps to preserve her privacy from the maid. She has evidently kicked off her shoe, maybe to put her bare foot on the foot warmer that resides unseen under her skirt [16] (Fig 5). Her face is fashionably pale, with an artificially high hairline.
Fig 5: Gabriël Metsu, detail of Woman Reading a Letter (1666) National Gallery of Ireland
Her maidservant stands at right. As befits her station, her clothing is a more subdued olive and brown, with a blue apron. Her left arm holds a pail against her hip, and her outstretched hand lightly holds a small envelope, inscribed with Metsu’s name, a playful way for the artist to sign the work. With her right hand the maid rather boldly pulls back the protective green curtain to reveal a framed painting of ships in a stormy sea, which she appears to be observing rather pointedly. Perhaps this choice of the painting’s subject matter -- so different from the peaceful scene in the painting of the man – was meant to suggest that the couple are separated from each other by a sea voyage, or even that there may be stormy times ahead in their relationship. The small brown and white dog (perhaps a papillon), a traditional symbol of loyalty, rests its paws on the platform, and looks up at the maid [17].
A new genre that engages your curiosity
These letter paintings are often described as part of a new genre of depicting the daily life of ordinary people, as distinct from portraits of important people, paintings based on history, mythology, religion, and so on. However, this is a little misleading. As you can see, the participants in these letter paintings are far from “ordinary’ -- they are very respectable, well-off, good-looking, dressed in expensive, even luxurious, clothing, and with obvious signs of desirable possessions, furnishings or cultural interests in their living environment. For many, this privileged status may be part of their appeal to viewers [18]. This, in combination with the inevitable curiosity which a pair of letter paintings may arouse in the viewer -- is it good news or bad news? -- has the effect of setting up a mini elevated soap opera in the viewer’s mind.
Some influences and similarities
Metsu and Vermeer have obvious similarities, as one might expect, given that they were compatriots and contemporaries dealing with similar subject matters, who knew each other and each other’s work. As we have seen, Metsu was actually regarded at the time as the superior painter, but he clearly shared and benefited from the qualities for which Vermeer is now particularly revered -- the quietness, the use of natural light sources from the left, the balance, the naturalism, the domestic settings, the artworks on the wall, the emphasis on beautiful fabrics, the fine detailing of items such as carpets, and even the yellowness of the women’s jacket -- the National Gallery of Ireland catalogue entry for the painting suggests that Metsu’s use of yellow for the jacket is a direct reference to Vermeer, for whom yellow jackets were a trademark [19].
Although greatly admiring Vermeer’s work, Metsu felt that it lacked emotional involvement for the viewer [20]. In this context, it is interesting that Vermeer, despite his great interest in the subject matter, never painted a themed pair -- perhaps because he was more interested in depicting single moments, without any overt suggestion of a narrative link ■
© Copyright Philip McCouat 2025
First published November 2025
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Although greatly admiring Vermeer’s work, Metsu felt that it lacked emotional involvement for the viewer [20]. In this context, it is interesting that Vermeer, despite his great interest in the subject matter, never painted a themed pair -- perhaps because he was more interested in depicting single moments, without any overt suggestion of a narrative link ■
© Copyright Philip McCouat 2025
First published November 2025
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End Notes
[1] Peter C. Sutton, Lisa Vergara, Ann Jensen Adams, Love Letters: Dutch Genre Paintings in the Age of Vermeer, London: Frances Lincoln Limited, 2003, at 15
[2] The period is from 1588 to 1672
[3] Jonathan Janson, “Essential Vermeer: Women in the 17th Century Netherlands: Letters and Literature” https://www.essentialvermeer.com/dutch-painters/netherlands/dutch-women-07.html
[4] Janson, op cit
[5] Raymond Keaveney, Foreword to Sutton, op cit
[6] Adriaan Waiboer, “Young Woman Seated in an Interior, Reading a Letter” (2017). In The Leiden Collection Catalogue, 3rd ed. Edited by Arthur K. Wheelock Jr. and Lara Yeager-Crasselt. New York, 2020–23. https://www.theleidencollection.com/archive/
[7] Sutton, op cit at 22
[8] Waiboer, op cit
[9] Vermeer died in 1675, Metsu in 1667
[10] See article by Philip McCouat, “The Sphinx of Delft: Jan Vermeer’s Demise and Rediscovery”, Journal of Art in Society (2020) https://www.artinsociety.com/the-sphinx-of-delft-jan-vermeerrsquos-demise-and-rediscovery.html
[11] 52 cm x 40cm = 21in x 16in
[12] Sutton, op cit at 21/22
[13] Sutton, op cit at 126. That pair was An Officer Writing a Letter and Woman Reading a Letter
[14] The picture is one said to be by Jacob van der Does
[15] Sutton, op cit at 132
[16] Sutton, op cit at 132
[17] Sutton, op cit at 133
[18] Benjamin Moser, The Upside-Down World: Meetings with the Dutch Masters, Allen Lane, 2023 at 153
[19] See, for example, Fig 2
[20] Waiboer, Adriaan E.Metsu, Gabriel, 1629-1667, New Haven : Yale University Press ; [Dublin] : In association with the National Gallery of Ireland, 2010, at 110
© Copyright Philip McCouat 2025.
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[2] The period is from 1588 to 1672
[3] Jonathan Janson, “Essential Vermeer: Women in the 17th Century Netherlands: Letters and Literature” https://www.essentialvermeer.com/dutch-painters/netherlands/dutch-women-07.html
[4] Janson, op cit
[5] Raymond Keaveney, Foreword to Sutton, op cit
[6] Adriaan Waiboer, “Young Woman Seated in an Interior, Reading a Letter” (2017). In The Leiden Collection Catalogue, 3rd ed. Edited by Arthur K. Wheelock Jr. and Lara Yeager-Crasselt. New York, 2020–23. https://www.theleidencollection.com/archive/
[7] Sutton, op cit at 22
[8] Waiboer, op cit
[9] Vermeer died in 1675, Metsu in 1667
[10] See article by Philip McCouat, “The Sphinx of Delft: Jan Vermeer’s Demise and Rediscovery”, Journal of Art in Society (2020) https://www.artinsociety.com/the-sphinx-of-delft-jan-vermeerrsquos-demise-and-rediscovery.html
[11] 52 cm x 40cm = 21in x 16in
[12] Sutton, op cit at 21/22
[13] Sutton, op cit at 126. That pair was An Officer Writing a Letter and Woman Reading a Letter
[14] The picture is one said to be by Jacob van der Does
[15] Sutton, op cit at 132
[16] Sutton, op cit at 132
[17] Sutton, op cit at 133
[18] Benjamin Moser, The Upside-Down World: Meetings with the Dutch Masters, Allen Lane, 2023 at 153
[19] See, for example, Fig 2
[20] Waiboer, Adriaan E.Metsu, Gabriel, 1629-1667, New Haven : Yale University Press ; [Dublin] : In association with the National Gallery of Ireland, 2010, at 110
© Copyright Philip McCouat 2025.
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