Vermeer's Milkmaid

Vermeer uses the same color palette in most of his paintings, which, like Rembrandt or Rubens, is often an indication of an artist's style of work. In The Milkmaid, Vermeer repeats his yellows and blues, and most importantly, repeats the way the light falls on those colors.

Vermeer 
The Milkmaid, c. 1658-1661
17 7/8 x 16 1/8 in. (45.5 x 41 cm.)
The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam


The quiet moment of the milkmaid carefully and gracefully pouring the milk into a container is easily overlooked if you're used to seeing the massive history paintings of Titian or Rubens, but the painting has so many gems. First, the colors Vermeer uses are beautiful, even pointlessly beautiful, as a milkmaid probably would not have donned this expensive blue apron. The humble moment, like writing a letter, is transformed into a blissful task. The viewer is aware of the meditative quality of the activity, again as in A Lady Writing. The slightly dingy background contrasts the beautiful colors. The sunlight through the window is coming in from the same angle and side that it enters the composition of A Lady Writing. 




Janson, Jonathon. "THE MILKMAID by Johannes Vermeer." Essential Vermeer. Web. 8 May 2011. <http://www.essentialvermeer.com/catalogue/milkmaid.html>.