# Old Woman Meditating

- By: Gabriël Metsu (Leiden, 1629–1667)
- Date: c. 1661 - c. 1663
- Medium: panel, oil paint (paint)
- Classification: painting
- Dimensions: height 27.3 cm x width 23.2 cm
- Museum: [Rijksmuseum](https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/object/SK-A-672--a459c8943f944001370188e78723a02b)
- Rights: [Public Domain Mark](http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/)
- Picture: https://iiif.micr.io/xjEZJ/full/!1920,1080/0/default.jpg
- Who can see it: Tweens profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

An elderly woman sits with a book on her lap, having removed her pince-nez. Perhaps she is taking a momentary pause, or has she dozed off? Her pale, wrinkled face, hands, and the white pages stand out against the darkness. Thus Metsu emphasized the subject: the study of devotional texts, with a focus on the transience of life.