Melkmeid 1688 - 1724

Jacob Gole created this engraving of a milkmaid in the late 17th or early 18th century. During this time in the Dutch Republic, class distinctions were increasingly represented in art. Here, the milkmaid is depicted not just as a worker, but as ‘Allegra Contadinella,’ blending the identities of the working class with that of an idealized, pastoral figure from the Italian countryside. Balancing a precarious tower of milk containers, she embodies the labor and burden of her role. Yet, her ornate dress and playful demeanor complicate the image. She’s caught between the idealized and the real, reflecting the social tensions of the time. Does this image celebrate or romanticize the working class? Or does it highlight the economic disparities inherent in Dutch society at the time? Perhaps, it does both. While celebrating Dutch prosperity, works like this reveal the lives of the working class who helped build it.