The Milkmaid

The Milkmaid (Het Melkmeisje) is one of Johannes Vermeer’s best-known paintings, depicting a domestic kitchen maid pouring milk into a bowl. The work is celebrated for its luminous colour, masterful rendering of textures — from the crusty bread to the glazed earthenware — and the quiet dignity it confers on everyday life in the Dutch Golden Age. The painting is held in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.