The Sick Child, Gabriël Metsu, c. 1664 - c. 1666
In 1663, the plague ravaged Amsterdam, claiming one in ten lives. Around this time, Metsu painted this picture of a mother comforting her sick child. Their posture evokes a pieta: the Virgin Mary with the body of Jesus on her lap. The painting on the wall, depicting Christ on the cross, serves as a poignant reminder of that suffering.