In the corner of a room, in the purest Veermer style, a woman is depicted illuminated by a window on the left of the painting. She is possibly a maid or a kitchen assistant who pours goat’s milk from a jug into a clay container on a table. On the same table, a wicker basket with various products is depicted in the foreground. The artist’s intention was to ennoble this type of profession, which many considered ignoble to be depicted on canvas, by making figures such as lace-makers, maids and domestic servants fashionable in his compositions.
Collection: Images
Project: 4. Family, daily life and social inequality in Europe., 8. Women and the change for gender equality in Europe.
Chronology: XVII
Scope: Secondary education, Baccalaureate, University
Link: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/nl/rijksstudio/kunstenaars/johannes-vermeer/objecten#/SK-A-2344,0
Resource type: Image
Format: Oil on canvas (45,5 x 41 cm)
Source: Rijksmuseum (Ámsterdam)
Language: English
Date: ca. 1660
Owner: Álvaro Romero González (Modernalia)
Identifier: SK-A-2344
Copyright: Rijksmuseum (Ámsterdam)
Abstract: A woman is shown pouring milk into a larger container for further processing and gastronomic enjoyment
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