Portrait of a Lady in a Red Dress is a c.1660 painting by Gabriël Metsu. It has been in England since 1828 and in the collection of Polesden Lacey since 1922. The motif of a figure presented in a "niche" follows a style made popular by Metsu's teacher, Gerrit Dou. The central figure is a woman dressed in a similar red bodice worn by Metsu's wife in a portrait he painted soon after he married her in Enkhuizen in 1658. Like other contemporary Leiden fijnschilders, Metsu has chosen the subject of a niche or window to frame his subject. The popular motif generally includes a curtain for a dramatic effect, and though Metsu painted curtains sparingly, he has chosen to place his subject prominently in front of a closed curtain here. Her portrayal at first glance needs no other supporting comment