The Sick Child by Gabriel Metsu. A mother sitting in a simple interior tenderly cradles a pale, listless child wearing a yellow shirt and white cap.

The Sick Child

Gabriel Metsu

1660 · Oil Paint, Canvas

An intimate and poignant Dutch Golden Age masterpiece depicting maternal care and domestic life.

$243

For the selected configuration

From $129

3 frame sizes

Frame size
Frame color
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Paper type
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Where it works

A quiet, grounding work in a warmer tonal register — holds a composed wall with restraint.

Often works in
Study · Library · Living Room
Placement
Works well as a centered vertical note
Walls
Reads strongest on light or mid-tone walls
Color notes
Soft gray, Charcoal black, Deep burgundy

About the piece

Painted circa 1660 by Gabriel Metsu, this work is a celebrated example of Dutch genre painting. It captures an intimate domestic moment with a sophisticated palette, where the vibrant primary colors of the figures' clothing stand out against the muted, scholarly atmosphere of the room, which features a wall map and a small religious painting.