Old Woman Sleeping 1653 - 1657

"Old Woman Sleeping" is a red chalk drawing created by Dutch painter Nicolaes Maes between 1653 and 1657. Maes was a student of Rembrandt and the drawing reflects this influence in its use of chiaroscuro, with strong contrasts of light and dark to highlight the wrinkles and features of the old woman's face. The drawing's small size (130 mm x 113 mm) and intimate subject matter are typical of Dutch genre painting of the period.