The Milkmaid 1660

portrait

gouache

painted

possibly oil pastel

culture event photography

oil painting

spray can art

underpainting

painting painterly

female-portraits

watercolor

celebrity portrait

Johannes Vermeer's "The Milkmaid" (1660) is a quintessential example of Dutch Golden Age genre painting. This intimate scene portrays a young woman in a simple domestic setting, meticulously pouring milk into a bowl, capturing the quiet beauty of everyday life. The masterful use of light and shadow, characteristic of Vermeer's style, lends a sense of tranquility and realism to the composition. The painting is held in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and remains one of Vermeer's most recognized works.

Comments

rijksmuseum over 1 year ago

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A maidservant pours milk, entirely absorbed in her work. Except for the stream of milk, everything else is still. Vermeer took this simple everyday activity and made it the subject of an impressive painting – the woman stands like a statue in the brightly lit room. Vermeer also had an eye for how light by means of hundreds of colourful dots plays over the surface of objects.