Gabriel Metsu, El niño enfermo, ca. 1664-1666, óleo sobre tela, 27 x 32 cm. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
"In 1663 the plague raged throughout Amsterdam, killing one in ten citizens. Dating from around this time is Metsu’s poignant portrayal of a sick child, rendered in powerful, bright colours against a grey background. The scene is reminiscent of a pieta, a representation of the Virgin Mary holding her son’s dead body in her lap. The painting of the Crucifixion on the back wall also recalls Christ’s suffering."
https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/SK-A-3059
