Masters of the Everyday
Dutch Artists in the Age of Vermeer
The Dutch artists of the seventeenth century painted ordinary people doing everyday things. They offer us a glimpse into the rumbustious life of village taverns and peasant cottages, and the quiet domesticity of courtyards and parlours.
While the subject-matter may be ordinary – the preparation of food, eating and drinking, the enjoyment of music or a family game – the painting is rich and jewel-like, with equal attention paid to a discarded clay pipe as to a fine silk drape. The meticulously documented details often allude to a work's deeper meaning or to moral messages that would have been familiar to the contemporary viewer. Presenting 28 masterpieces from the Royal Collection, the exhibition includes works by Gerrit Dou, Gabriel Metsu, Jan Steen and Pieter de Hooch, and Johannes Vermeer's A Lady at the Virginal with a Gentleman
Exhibition Highlights
Johannes Vermeer (Delft 1632-Delft 1675)
Lady at the Virginals with a Gentleman
Gerard ter Borch (Zwolle 1617-Deventer 1681)
A Gentleman pressing a Lady to drink
Gerrit Dou (Leiden 1613-Leiden 1675)
A Girl chopping Onions
Events programme
Music performed by the Royal College of Music
Performances to accompany the gallery tour of the exhibition
Buy the book
This superb collection focuses on a selection of works of Dutch genre painting from the Royal Collection’s holdings....
School sessions
I Spy Through the Masters of the Everyday
Your class will explore the Masters of the Everyday exhibition through a game of I Spy - focusing on the objects and colours
Double Dutch: Decoding Symbolism in Art
This session focuses on the symbolism of objects in the paintings of Masters of the Everyday .
Characters of the Everyday: A Creative Writing Workshop
Pupils work with their own author in this Creative Writing Workshop
Telling Stories Without Words
Pupils will explore how the objects represented in the paintings of Masters of the Everyday can be used to help tell a story.
Map & directions
By car
There is a public car park adjacent to the Palace at Broad Pavement. Please visit the Historic Environment Scotland website for more details.
Accessible parking spaces are located on Horse Wynd, just outside the Palace, on a first-come first-serve basis.
By train
Edinburgh Waverley. The Queen's Gallery is a 15 minute walk from the station.
By tram
The nearest tram stop is York Place. The Queen’s Gallery is a 20 minute walk from the station. Visit Edinburgh Trams for times and fares.
By coach / bus
Bus numbers 6 and 35 stop near the Gallery. Open-top tour buses stop nearby.
Limited free coach parking is available adjacent to the Palace. Alternative pay-and-display coach parking is available on nearby Regent Road.
By bike
A free-to-use public bicycle rack is located opposite the Scottish Parliament. Cycle hire stations are available nearby on both Holyrood Road and Abbeyhill, within a 5 minute walk of the Palace and The Queen’s Gallery. Visit Edinburgh Cycle Hire for details.
