A Goldsmith in His Shop

Petrus Christus's A Goldsmith in His Shop, painted in 1449, is one of the most celebrated genre-like paintings of the early Netherlandish school. Now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the work likely depicts Saint Eligius, patron saint of goldsmiths, shown weighing a ring for a young couple. The painting provides an invaluable record of 15th-century goldsmithing tools and luxury goods, including a detailed convex mirror reflecting the street outside—a motif borrowed from Van Eyck.

Christus renders the goldsmith's wares with meticulous precision—rings, brooches, coral, pearls, and coins—using controlled oil glazing to achieve convincing metallic and reflective surfaces in a clearly organized spatial composition.