The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer

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By Walter Liedtke The Milkmaid, painted by Johannes Vermeer about 1657–58, is one of the most popular pictures of all time, and was on loan in 2009 from the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s sail to Manhattan on behalf of the Dutch East India Company. This 36-page catalogue discusses the painting’s style, meaning, place within Vermeer’s oeuvre, its first owner and later history. The author reveals that a long tradition of amorous milkmaids and kitchen maids in Netherlandish art is continued here with such subtle understatement that the artist’s intentions have been misunderstood for generations. The Metropolitan’s own five paintings by Vermeer and seven other Dutch pictures in the collection are also included in the exhibition and discussed in this generously illustrated publication. 36 pages, 44 illustrations. 8 1/2'' x 11''. Paper.