Gabril Metsu, a Dutch painter, was a diverse artist who painted portraits, genre works, still lifes, and history paintings. His eclectic style of painting meant that he rarely stuck to a set style or subject for long periods of time. His paintings were incredibly difficult to date - only 14 of his 133 pieces have a specific date on them. However, these can still be extremely valuable pieces of art.

Although Metsu was a prolific painter, his work is not dominated by one particular style. He had a wide variety of influences, both locally and throughout the country. By the time he was in his late twenties, he had become known as a master painter. During his last years, he also produced large religious scenes. Among his last works, his phantasmagoric crucifixion is a remarkably dark and dramatic painting that pales in comparison to genre paintings.