Girl Chopping Onions 1646

Gerrit Dou’s “Girl Chopping Onions” is a 17th-century Dutch genre painting depicting a young woman preparing onions in a dimly lit kitchen. The meticulous detail of the scene, characterized by the use of chiaroscuro, is typical of Dou’s work, which exemplifies the style of Dutch Golden Age painting. This painting, housed in the Royal Collection at Buckingham Palace, showcases the masterful skill of the artist in capturing the everyday activities of ordinary people with astonishing realism. The painting, despite its humble subject matter, demonstrates Dou's adeptness at capturing the play of light and shadow, imbuing the scene with a sense of intimacy and realism.