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The Milkmaid
Johannes Vermeer · Baroque & Dutch Golden Age
- Artist
- Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675)
- Date
- c. 1658–1660
- Dimensions
- 45.5 x 41 cm
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
In The Milkmaid, a kitchen maid stands by a window, slowly pouring milk from a jug into an earthenware bowl. Nothing else happens, yet this small painting is one of the most admired works of the Dutch Golden Age.
A closer look
Vermeer gives an ordinary household task the dignity of a ritual. The maid’s sturdy figure, her yellow bodice and blue apron, the bread on the table and the light pouring through the window are all painted with extraordinary care. Tiny dots of paint make the crusty bread sparkle. The bare wall is full of small details, nails and their shadows, a stain, a hole. On the floor behind her, a foot warmer and a row of Delft tiles complete the quiet scene.
History of the painting
The Milkmaid was already prized in Vermeer's century: at the Amsterdam sale of 1696 it fetched 175 guilders, the second-highest price among the Vermeers on offer. In the 19th century it belonged to the Six family, Amsterdam's most famous dynasty of collectors. In 1908 the Rijksmuseum bought it from the Six heirs with government support, together with dozens of other paintings, after a heated public debate about the price; it has been one of the museum's best-loved works ever since.
More by Johannes Vermeer
In this gallery
Girl with a Pearl Earring
Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window
View of Delft
The Art of Painting
The Little Street
Woman Holding a Balance
The Astronomer
The Lacemaker
Famous works elsewhere
- The Geographer 1668
- The Procuress 1656
- Christ in the House of Martha and Mary 1650
- A Girl Asleep 1657
- Diana and her Nymphs 1650