A small domestic scene built from thick, granular paint, and one of the most travel-sensitive canvases in the Rijksmuseum.
Artist
Johannes Vermeer
Date
c. 1658–1661
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
45.5 × 41 cm
Location
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
History
What the record shows
Vermeer painted a kitchen maid pouring milk with an intensity normally reserved for religious subjects, using expensive natural ultramarine for the apron.
Its surface carries pronounced impasto in the bread and pitcher, which dictates a rigid, vibration-damped case whenever the painting leaves the building.
