Jan Vermeer, The Lette, c.

1666

Constructs the idea of a nuclear family

Jan Steen, The Feast of St. Nicholas, 1660-65

Religious doll for the child to play with

Geared towards the middle class households
Urban environment

Jan Steen, The Merry Family, 1668

Relational and humourous

Judith Leyster, The Proposition, c. 1631

Made respectable when its brough in to a domestic environment

Women had more freedom in Amsterdam
Italians were shocked by freedom
Usually one maid per middle class households
Concentrated on work
Guest from outside is offering money, maid ignores him and focuses on work
Not sexualized, given a high sense of value because of her work
Refusal to be swayed by money and sexuality
No suggestions of sins in the background
The home offers purity
Denies pleasure of the senses, appeals to senses as a viewer by the quiet in
the image
Heater, means theyre well cared for

Jan Vermeer, The Milkmaid, Ca. 1660

Absorbed in her work

Brass and well finished ceramics
Quiet image, can almost hear the milk being poured
Textures are all warm and cozy, appears cool in terms of color
Strong, healthy, and well cared for (heater)

Jan Vermeer, Woman holding a balance, ca. 1664

Religious association
Balance a catholics life should be balanced in order to think about final
judgement
Money is also balanced, material wealth shouldnt be worried about over
religion
Fur line clothing, modestly covered her hair

Gerard ter Borch, The Suitors Visit, c. 1658

Music lesson in a domestic interior

Chaperone in the background

Aelbert Cuyp, A Distant View of Dordrecht with a

Milkmaid, c. late 1640s

Landscape influence comes from the north

Landscape is about place geography, way of life
Created landscape by the hard work of people
Landscape was hard fought for just like the dutch republic, proud of the land
they built
Sunset or sunrise
Cows are symbols of holland, prosperity fat, fertile and ______?

Jacob van Ruiddael, View of Haarlem from the Dunes at

Overveen, 1670

North countries are low countries reclaimed from the sea

Windmills keep the sea at bay
The sky is very low
Omnicient view gods hard working people
People working in the field
Enclosed garden - patriotic symbol of hard working people
Light only shines on the garden hurrying to bring in hard earned rewards for
the labour
Church in the background

Willem Kalf, Still Life with a Late Ming Ginger Jar, 1669

Realism developed truthfulness of the image

Shows virtuosity of painter
Artists cant userp the glory of god
Painters remind viewers of gods presense
Time passes
Speaks of the economy of the dutch
Turkish carpet, beautiful italian glass (cupid w/ horn of plenty)
Pewter comes from Indonesia speaks of colonial holdings
Mediteranian peach, lemon speaks of citrus trade (medicinal properties)
Ginger Jar luxury object imported from China
Marble imported from Italy

Pieter Claesz, Vanitas Still Life, 1630s

Everything is vanity
Empty cup, decay of music sheets, clock, nut reminds us of passing of time

Metal ball has the reflection long after hes gone, the artist will remain
mortal through it

Rachel Ruysch, Flower Still Life, after 1700

Woman artist paints for 70 years

Her ability makes her flower pictures so impressive
40 different flowers in this painting spirng and summer flowers
All blooming at the same time (not possible)
They speak of morality
Some flowers are fading
Butterfly and bees present live a short time
Dew drops will eventually evaporate
Tulip is the main flower
Speaks to economy and collecting/producing of flowers
Perfect poppy invention of microscope
Economy crashed

Hyacinthe Rigaud, Louis XIV, 1701

More power came under the name of the king

Had control over artistic production propoganda purposes
Seems feminized no longer manly
Reigned for 72 years and 102 days
King of the gods
Raised up, looking down his nose at us
Plush, velvet cloak with the symbol of france in gold. Ermine fur.
High heels invented for Louis XIV displaying strong legs
Long sword is a symbol of large penis
Order of the loyal knights around his neck
A column representing the notion of an empire

Germaine Boffrand, Hotel de Soubise

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Clodion, Nymph and Satyr, ca. 1775

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Jean-Antoine Watteau, Pilgrimage to Cythera, 1717

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