Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 147 works by Quinten Metsys in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals Quinten Metsys left, the most famous is The Moneylender and his Wife (1514). Close behind it come Portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam (1517) and The Virgin Enthroned (1525). Our catalog holds 147 works by Quinten Metsys; the gallery has kept the 100 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
In the quiet intimacy of Quentin Massys’s 1514 masterpiece, The Moneylender and his Wife, we are invited to step across the threshold of time and into a world of profound domesticity and silent narrative. This oil on panel work, currently preserved in the hallowed halls of the Musée du Sobornik in the Louvre, serves as a breathtaking exemplar of the Antwerp School’s mastery. At first glance, the scene presents a…
To stand before this portrait is to step directly into the vibrant intellectual currents of the early sixteenth century. Quentin Massys has captured not merely a likeness, but an entire state of being—the profound concentration of a Renaissance mind at work. The subject, Erasmus of Rotterdam, radiates the quiet authority of scholarship. Dressed in the somber black attire typical of learned men of his era, he is seated amidst the…
In the quiet, hallowed atmosphere of the Staatliche Museen Berlin, there exists a window into the spiritual heart of the sixteenth century. Quentin Massys’ “The Virgin Enthroned,” completed around 1525, is far more than a mere religious portrait; it is a profound meditation on grace and the intersection of the earthly and the divine. As a cornerstone of the Antwerp School, this masterpiece captures a pivotal moment in art history…
The portrait presents a frontal, bust-length view of Christ, positioned centrally against a dark, undifferentiated background. The subject's face is illuminated by a soft, diffused light that defines the contours of the nose, the jawline, and the orbital sockets. A golden halo, composed of fine, radiating lines, emanates from behind the head, creating a sharp contrast with the deep tones of the backdrop. The hair is rendered in long, wavy…
To gaze upon this exquisite detail from Quentin Massys’s 1514 masterpiece, The Moneylender and His Wife, is to be invited across the threshold of a meticulously preserved moment in time. It is not merely a fragment of paint on panel; it is a concentrated jewel box of Northern Renaissance life, rich with unspoken narratives and dazzling technical mastery. The scene, captured from the legendary work housed at the Musée du…
To gaze upon this detail from Quentin Massys's The Moneylender and his Wife is to be invited across the threshold of a meticulously preserved moment in time. It is not merely a fragment of paint on panel; it is a concentrated jewel box of Northern Renaissance life, rich with unspoken narratives and dazzling technical mastery. The scene, captured from the masterpiece housed in the Musée du Louvre, draws the eye…
To gaze upon this depiction of The Adoration of the Magi is to step directly into a moment suspended in time—a tableau vivant brimming with piety, wonder, and profound human connection. Quentin Massys has masterfully captured not merely an event from sacred scripture, but the very essence of devotion itself. Mary cradles the divine infant Jesus, the focal point around which all gazes converge. The composition is richly populated; a…
The St Anne Altarpiece (detail) is a fragment of a larger narrative painted by Quinten Metsys. This specific section emerged from a work created in 1507. It captures a quiet moment within a sacred lineage, rendered with the precision of a hand accustomed to the weight of iron and the glint of metal.
In the quiet, contemplative corner of the St Anne Altarpiece, specifically its left wing, we encounter a moment of profound spiritual intimacy that has captivated viewers for over five centuries. Painted in 1507 by the Flemish master Quentin Massys, this work serves as a breathtaking window into the soul of the Northern Renaissance. The scene is anchored by the figure of St Anne, depicted with a poignant realism that eschews…
To gaze upon this exquisite detail from Quentin Massys's 1514 masterpiece, The Moneylender and his Wife, is to be invited across the threshold of a meticulously preserved moment in time. It is not merely a fragment of paint on panel; it is a concentrated jewel box of Northern Renaissance life, rich with unspoken narratives and dazzling technical mastery. In this intimate glimpse, we find ourselves seated at a table laden…
St Anne Altarpiece1507 · Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts
12
St Anne Altarpiece (central panel)1507 · Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts
13
Diptych - Christ and the Virgin
14
Saint Mary Magdalene1515 · Philadelphia Museum of Art
15
Saint John the Baptist1511 · Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp
16
Christ1529 · Metropolitan Museum of Art
17
The Deathbed of Saint Anne1509 · Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
18
Saint Mary of Egypt1515 · Philadelphia Museum of Art
19
Jacob Obrecht1496 · Kimbell Art Museum
20
A Bagpiper1513 · Yale University Art Gallery
21
Christ the Saviour1529 · Museo del Prado
22
Madonna and Child1530 · Mauritshuis
23
Virgin with the ChildRockox House
24
Mary with Child (Copy after a lost original)1512 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
25
The Refusal of the Offering of Joachim1509 · Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
26
Jesus Among the Doctors1509 · National Museum of Ancient Art
27
Portrait of a man1517 · Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
28
Saint John and the Women at the Tomb of Christ1509 · National Museum of Ancient Art
29
Virgin and Child1520 · Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
30
Madonna and Child1490 · National Museum in Warsaw
31
Portrait of Pieter Gillis1517 · Galleria Nazional d Art Antica
32
Lamentation of Christ1501 · National Museum in Warsaw
33
Saint Jerome1512 · Philadelphia Museum of Art
34
The Virgin in prayer1529 · Museo del Prado
35
Saint John1511 · Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp
36
Head of a Mourning Woman1500 · Gemäldegalerie
37
Head of a Mourning Woman1500 · Gemäldegalerie
38
Man of Sorrows1500 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
39
Virgin and Child Enthroned1490 · Kunsthandel P. de Boer
40
Salome is given the head of John the Baptist1511 · Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp
41
The Seven Sorrows of the Virgin1500 · Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
42
Rem Altar: Saint Roch with the Angel (Reverse: Saint Anne Selbdritt)1518 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
43
Rem Altar: Holy Trinity ("Throne of Grace")1518 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
44
Rem Altarpiece: Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian (Reverse: Saint Luke)1518 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
45
Two Old Men in Prayer1515
46
Presentation at the Temple1509 · National Museum of Ancient Art
47
The Lamentation1510 · National Gallery of Canada
48
Salvator Mundi (Christ Blessing)1512 · Szépművészeti Múzeum
49
Dead Christ1530 · Yale University Art Gallery
50
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt1513 · Worcester Art Museum
51
Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536)1517 · Royal Collection
52
The Virgin and Child1512 · Museum of Fine Arts Ghent (MSK)
53
Christ Salvator Mundi and Mary at Prayer1505 · Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp
54
Portrait of an old woman1510
55
Portrait of Petrus Aegidius (1486-1533)1514
56
The Lamentation1512 · Onze-Lieve Vrouwekathedraal
57
Portrait of a man1508 · Kunsthandel P. de Boer
58
St Anne Altarpiece1507 · Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
59
The purchase agreement1510 · Gemäldegalerie
60
Madonna and Child with the lamb.1513 · The National Museum in Poznań
61
Portrait of a Humanist1512 · Musée Des Beaux
62
Saint Elizabeth of Portugal1524 · Gemäldegalerie
63
Portrait of Don Manuel de Menens1530
64
Saint Jerome in his cell1524 · Kunsthistorisches Museum
65
Christ Driving the Money-changers from the Temple1520 · Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp
66
Portrait of een geestelijke (twijfelachtig geïdentificeerd als Jean Carondelet)1525 · Barber Institute of Fine Arts
67
An Allegory of Folly1528
68
The Two Tax Collectors1530 · Gemäldegalerie
69
Mourning Woman from a Lamentation1520 · Gemäldegalerie
70
Portrait of a man with a letter in his hand1520 · Gemäldegalerie
71
Virgin and Child with Saints Elizabeth and John the Baptist1522
72
Portrait of An Old Man1524
73
Crucifixion1520 · National Gallery of Canada
74
Christ carrying the cross1505 · National Museum of Ancient Art
75
Calvary1505 · National Museum of Ancient Art
76
Madonna and Child1520 · Detroit Institute of Arts
77
Portrait of a Canon1510 · Liechtenstein Museum
78
Man with Glasses1523 · Städelsche Kunstinstitut Und Städtische Galerie
79
Anne and Joachim Present Their Goods to the Temple1509 · Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
80
Mary Magdalene1505 · Detroit Institute of Arts
81
John the Baptist and St Agnes1520 · Wallraf-Richartz-Museum
82
Ecce Homo (detail)1526 · Doge's Palace
83
The Crucifixion1515 · National Gallery
84
Ecce Homo (detail)1526 · Doge's Palace
85
Ecce Homo1526 · Doge's Palace
86
Workshop of )1500
87
Our Lady of Sorrows1500 · National Museum of Ancient Art
88
St John Altarpiece (detail)1507 · Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten
89
St John Altarpiece (right wing)1507 · Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten
90
St John Altarpiece (left wing)1507 · Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten
91
Portrait of Cornelia Sandrin1514 · Oldenburg State Museum for Art and Cultural History
92
Christ on the Cross with Donors (detail)1520 · Museum Mayer van den Bergh
93
Portrait of a Woman1520 · Metropolitan Museum of Art
94
Portrait Medal of Erasmus1519 · Fitzwilliam College
95
Madonna of the Cherries1525
96
St Anne Altarpiece (closed)1507 · Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts
97
Triptych of the Passion of Christ1500 · Machado de Castro National Museum
98
Desiderius Erasmus
99
St Anne Altarpiece (right wing, detail)1507 · Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts
100
Christ on the Cross with Donors1520 · Museum Mayer van den Bergh
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Quinten Metsys | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Gemäldegalerie |
Berlin | 8 | Head of a Mourning Woman, Head of a Mourning Woman, The purchase agreement |
 Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp |
Antwerp | 7 | Christ as Salvator Mundi, Saint John the Baptist, Saint John |
 Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts |
Brussels | 6 | St Anne Altarpiece (detail), St Anne Altarpiece (left wing), St Anne Altarpiece |
 National Museum of Ancient Art |
Lisbon | 6 | Jesus Among the Doctors, Saint John and the Women at the Tomb of Christ, Presentation at the Temple |
 Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium |
Brussels | 6 | The Deathbed of Saint Anne, The Refusal of the Offering of Joachim, The Seven Sorrows of the Virgin |
 Bavarian State Painting Collections |
Munich | 6 | Mary with Child (Copy after a lost original), Man of Sorrows, Rem Altar: Saint Roch with the Angel (Reverse: Saint Anne Selbdritt) |
 Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten |
Antwerp | 7 | St John Altarpiece (detail), St John Altarpiece (right wing), St John Altarpiece (left wing) |
 The Louvre |
Paris | 4 | The Moneylender and his Wife (detail), The Moneylender and his Wife (detail), The Moneylender and his Wife (detail) |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
In this 1496 portrait, we find ourselves in the presence of Jacob Obrecht, a man whose life was defined by the precision of musical notation and the solemnity of the liturgy. The sitter is captured in a three-quarter pose, his hands clasped in a gesture of quiet contemplation or perhaps prayer. There is a stillness here that feels intentional, as if the subject has paused mid-thought to acknowledge the viewer.…
The portrait presents a frontal, bust-length view of Christ, positioned centrally against a dark, undifferentiated background. The subject's face is illuminated by a soft, diffused light that defines the contours of the nose, the jawline, and the orbital sockets. A golden halo, composed of fine, radiating lines, emanates from behind the head, creating a sharp contrast with the deep tones of the backdrop. The hair is rendered in long, wavy…
In the quiet intimacy of Quentin Massys’s 1514 masterpiece, The Moneylender and his Wife, we are invited to step across the threshold of time and into a world of profound domesticity and silent narrative. This oil on panel work, currently preserved in the hallowed halls of the Musée du Sobornik in the Louvre, serves as a breathtaking exemplar of the Antwerp School’s mastery. At first glance, the scene presents a…
In the quiet, hallowed atmosphere of the Staatliche Museen Berlin, there exists a window into the spiritual heart of the sixteenth century. Quentin Massys’ “The Virgin Enthroned,” completed around 1525, is far more than a mere religious portrait; it is a profound meditation on grace and the intersection of the earthly and the divine. As a cornerstone of the Antwerp School, this masterpiece captures a pivotal moment in art history…
To gaze upon this depiction of the Madonna and Child is to step directly into the hushed reverence of the High Renaissance. It is more than just a portrait; it is a profound meditation on maternal love, divine connection, and enduring devotion. The composition centers with breathtaking tenderness on the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Jesus. Her posture speaks of serene acceptance, while the gentle interaction—the kiss upon her cheek…
The Moneylender and his Wife (1514). Portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam (1517) and The Virgin Enthroned (1525) come next.
48 years old: The Moneylender and his Wife dates from 1514, and Quinten Metsys was born in 1466.
The Moneylender and his Wife, Portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam, The Virgin Enthroned, Christ as Salvator Mundi, The Moneylender and his Wife (detail), The Moneylender and his Wife (detail), The Adoration of the Magi, St Anne Altarpiece (detail), St Anne Altarpiece (left wing) and The Moneylender and his Wife (detail). The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 147 works by Quinten Metsys, dated from 1490 to 1530.
Mostly in Gemäldegalerie (Berlin), Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (Antwerp) and Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts (Brussels). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1510s: 34 of the 100 works on this page were made then, The Moneylender and his Wife among them.
On this page, the earliest is Madonna and Child (1490) and the latest Madonna and Child (1530).
Man (38), Woman (37) and Child (16), across the 100 works on this page.
Oil On Panel, for 58 of the 100 works on this page.
Northern renaissance, judging by the originals on this page.
Head of a Mourning Woman, Head of a Mourning Woman and The purchase agreement: the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin holds 7 of the works on this page.
In the vibrant, burgeoning landscape of the sixteenth-century Low Countries, few names resonate with as much foundational importance as Quentin Massys. Often heralded as the pioneer of the Antwerp School, Massys was a painter who bridged the gap between the meticulous, spiritual devotion of the Early Netherlandish tradition and the burgeoning humanism of the Northern Renaissance. Born around 1466 in Leuven, Belgium, his early life remains a tapestry of legend and historical fragments. It is widely whispered in art history that before he ever grasped a fine brush, he was trained as an ironsmith—a detail that lends a profound, tactile weight to his later mastery of texture and material. This background in metalworking likely instilled in him a unique reverence for the physical world, allowing him to render the sheen of silk, the cold glint of coin, and the weathered skin of humanity with unparalleled precision.
As he transitioned from the academic atmosphere of Leuven to the bustling commercial hub of Antwerp around 1490, Massys began to weave his own distinct thread into the fabric of Flemish art. His early training, potentially under the guidance of Dirk Bouts, connected him to the lineage of masters like Hans Memling and Rogier van der Weyden. From these predecessors, he inherited a devotion to verisimilitude—the pursuit of truth in representation. Yet, Massys was far from a mere imitator. While he maintained the exquisite detail characteristic of his ancestors, he infused his work with a new, burgeoning vitality and a willingness to explore the complexities of the human condition through both religious solemnity and biting social commentary.
The brilliance of Massys lies in his remarkable ability to navigate two seemingly disparate worlds: the sacred and the profane. On one hand, his religious compositions serve as profound meditations on faith. In works such as Christ on the Cross with Donors, he captures the raw, emotional gravity of the crucifixion, utilizing a High Renaissance sensibility to present a scene that is both deeply moving and technically flawless. His ability to depict the divine through the lens of human suffering allowed his religious subjects to resonate with a visceral intimacy, making the spiritual palpable to the viewer.
Conversely, Massys was a master of the satirical genre, using his brush to hold a mirror up to the shifting social morals of his era. He possessed a keen eye for the foibles of humanity, often creating scenes that blended realism with a subtle, mocking wit. This duality is perhaps most evident in his approach to portraiture and genre painting, where he could pivot from the serene beauty of a Virgin and Child to the more complex, morally layered depictions of contemporary life. His work often explored themes of greed, vanity, and the tension between material wealth and spiritual purity, making him a precursor to the great genre painters who would follow in the centuries to come.
The historical significance of Quentin Massys cannot be overstated; he was the catalyst for an artistic revolution in Antwerp. By introducing new motifs and techniques while remaining anchored in the rich traditions of his homeland, he provided the blueprint for a school of painting that would dominate Flanders throughout the sixteenth century. His influence can be traced through the evolution of Northern European art, as he paved the way for a more expressive, observational style that embraced the complexities of the modernizing world.
Today, we remember Massys not just as a craftsman, but as a storyteller who captured the soul of an era. His legacy is preserved in the enduring power of his imagery:
