A young Woman Writing Music

A young woman writes music at a table in this 1663 painting from the collection of Willem V, Prince of Orange Nassau. Metsu"s Amsterdam period, from which this painting dates, produced his most refined and luminous works, rivaling Vermeer in their attention to the play of light on surfaces and the subtle psychology of solitary figures. Music-writing combines the themes of feminine accomplishment, intellectual activity, and the pervasive Dutch love of music.

The solitary figure is illuminated by natural light from a window, creating the characteristic Dutch interior lighting that models the figure and illuminates the writing materials. Metsu"s mature technique shows in the refined handling of textures—the woman"s silk dress, the paper, the table surface—each rendered with a different touch appropriate to its material nature. The palette is luminous, with warm, light tones reflecting the bright Amsterdam interiors of Metsu"s best work.