Portrait of a Woman with a Book

Portrait of a Woman with a Book (c. 1650) dates from Metsu's earliest documented period in Leiden and shows him already working in a recognizable Dutch portrait tradition while developing his individual touch. The book as a portrait attribute had long associations with learning, piety, and social status — identifying the sitter as literate, educated, and reflective. The Adolphe Schloss collection, which held this panel, was one of the most important private collections of Dutch and Flemish paintings assembled in France during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries before being dispersed after the Second World War. The early date and panel format situate this work in Metsu's formation period, when he was absorbing Dutch portrait conventions before developing the genre-scene focus for which he is best known.

Oil on panel with the smooth tonal modeling of early Dutch portraiture. The book is handled with still-life precision as the painting's key attribute, while the woman's face is modeled with careful gradations from highlight to shadow. The background is plain and unfussy, directing attention to the figure.