Public domain
The Herring Seller
From the collection of Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
With a critical eye, the woman in this painting inspects the herring being offered to her by a herring merchant. Unlike what is common today in the Netherlands, fish was primarily consumed in the morning and afternoon during the 17th century. Additionally, there was an abundant supply of fresh fish on Catholic fasting days such as Fridays, when meat was not eaten.
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam’s own descriptionCredit lineDe haringkoopvrouw. c. 1661 - c. 1662. Gabriël Metsu. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Public domain.
