The Milkmaid

Johannes Vermeer

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Period

1650-1700

Theme

Daily Life

Medium

? Pieter Claesz van Ruijven (1624-1674) and Maria Simonsdr de Knuijt (1623-1681), Delft; ? their daughter, Magdalena van Ruijven (1655-1682), Delft; ? her widower, Jacob Dissius (1653-1695), Delft;{Montias 1989, pp. 246-262, 359, doc. 417.} his sale, Amsterdam, 16 May 1696, no. 2, fl. 175, to Isaac Rooleeuw (1663-1701), Amsterdam;{Hoet and Terwesten 1752-1770, vol. 1 (1752), p. 34; Montias 1989, p. 363, doc. 439; Grijzenhout 2010, p. 66.} his sale, Amsterdam, 20 April 1701, no. 7, fl. 320;{Hoet and Terwesten 1752-1770, vol. 1 (1752), p. 62.} …; sale Jacob van Hoek (1670-1718), Amsterdam, 12 April 1719, no. 20, fl. 126;{Ibid., p. 221.} …; collection Pieter Leendert de Neufville (1707-1759), Amsterdam, after 1752;{Missing in the collection description of 1752, see Hoet and Terwesten 1752-1770, vol. 2 (1752), pp. 513-516.} his son, Leendert Pieter de Neufville (1729-1774?), Amsterdam; sale De Neufville, Amsterdam (J.M. Cok), 19 June 1765, no. 65, fl. 560, to the dealer Yver;{Copy RKD.} …; sale Jean Dulong (?-?), Amsterdam (H. de Winter and J. Yver), 18 April 1768, no. 10, fl. 925, to Van Diemen;{Copy RKD.} …; collection Jan Jacob de Bruyn (1720-1792), Amsterdam;{Reynolds 1996, p. 106.} his sale, Amsterdam (P. van der Schley et al.), 12 September 1798, no. 32, fl. 1,550, to the dealer J.A. Spaan;{Copy RKD.} …; sale Hendrik Muilman (1743-1812), Amsterdam (P. van der Schley et al.), 12 April 1813 _sqq._, no. 96, fl. 2,125, to the dealer J. de Vries for Lucretia Johanna van Winter (1785-1845), Amsterdam;{Copy RKD.} her widower, Jonkheer Hendrik Six (1790-1847), Lord of Hillegom, Amsterdam; their son, Jonkheer Pieter Hendrik Six (1827-1905), Lord of Vromade, Amsterdam;{Archive Six family, inv.no. CS53207-002. 0014.} from whose heirs, fl. 550,000, with 38 other paintings, with the support of the Vereniging Rembrandt, to the museum, 1908

Current Location

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

The Story

Pieter Claesz van Ruijven (1624-1674) and Maria Simonsdr de Knuijt (1623-1681), Delft; ? their daughter, Magdalena van Ruijven (1655-1682), Delft; ? her widower, Jacob Dissius (1653-1695), Delft;{Montias 1989, pp. 246-262, 359, doc. } his sale, Amsterdam, 16 May 1696, no. 2, fl. 175, to Isaac Rooleeuw (1663-1701), Amsterdam;{Hoet and Terwesten 1752-1770, vol. 1 (1752), p. 34; Montias 1989, p. 363, doc. 439; Grijzenhout 2010, p. } his sale, Amsterdam, 20 April 1701, no. 7, fl. 320;{Hoet and Terwesten 1752-1770, vol. 1 (1752), p.

} …; sale Jacob van Hoek (1670-1718), Amsterdam, 12 April 1719, no. 20, fl. , p. } …; collection Pieter Leendert de Neufville (1707-1759), Amsterdam, after 1752;{Missing in the collection description of 1752, see Hoet and Terwesten 1752-1770, vol. 2 (1752), pp. M. Cok), 19 June 1765, no. 65, fl. ), Amsterdam (H. de Winter and J. Yver), 18 April 1768, no. 10, fl. } …; collection Jan Jacob de Bruyn (1720-1792), Amsterdam;{Reynolds 1996, p. } his sale, Amsterdam (P. ), 12 September 1798, no. 32, fl. A.

Executed in ? Pieter Claesz van Ruijven (1624-1674) and Maria Simonsdr de Knuijt (1623-1681), Delft; ? their daughter, Magdalena van Ruijven (1655-1682), Delft; ? her widower, Jacob Dissius (1653-1695), Delft;{Montias 1989, pp. 246-262, 359, doc. 417.} his sale, Amsterdam, 16 May 1696, no. 2, fl. 175, to Isaac Rooleeuw (1663-1701), Amsterdam;{Hoet and Terwesten 1752-1770, vol. 1 (1752), p. 34; Montias 1989, p. 363, doc. 439; Grijzenhout 2010, p. 66.} his sale, Amsterdam, 20 April 1701, no. 7, fl. 320;{Hoet and Terwesten 1752-1770, vol. 1 (1752), p. 62.} …; sale Jacob van Hoek (1670-1718), Amsterdam, 12 April 1719, no. 20, fl. 126;{Ibid., p. 221.} …; collection Pieter Leendert de Neufville (1707-1759), Amsterdam, after 1752;{Missing in the collection description of 1752, see Hoet and Terwesten 1752-1770, vol. 2 (1752), pp. 513-516.} his son, Leendert Pieter de Neufville (1729-1774?), Amsterdam; sale De Neufville, Amsterdam (J.M. Cok), 19 June 1765, no. 65, fl. 560, to the dealer Yver;{Copy RKD.} …; sale Jean Dulong (?-?), Amsterdam (H. de Winter and J. Yver), 18 April 1768, no. 10, fl. 925, to Van Diemen;{Copy RKD.} …; collection Jan Jacob de Bruyn (1720-1792), Amsterdam;{Reynolds 1996, p. 106.} his sale, Amsterdam (P. van der Schley et al.), 12 September 1798, no. 32, fl. 1,550, to the dealer J.A. Spaan;{Copy RKD.} …; sale Hendrik Muilman (1743-1812), Amsterdam (P. van der Schley et al.), 12 April 1813 _sqq._, no. 96, fl. 2,125, to the dealer J. de Vries for Lucretia Johanna van Winter (1785-1845), Amsterdam;{Copy RKD.} her widower, Jonkheer Hendrik Six (1790-1847), Lord of Hillegom, Amsterdam; their son, Jonkheer Pieter Hendrik Six (1827-1905), Lord of Vromade, Amsterdam;{Archive Six family, inv.no. CS53207-002. 0014.} from whose heirs, fl. 550,000, with 38 other paintings, with the support of the Vereniging Rembrandt, to the museum, 1908, measuring width: 41; height: 45.5, the surface rewards close looking. Johannes Vermeer builds the composition through layered glazes and a tightly controlled palette, letting cool shadows recede so that the warm, lit passages step forward. The brushwork shifts from the precise to the almost dissolved — a hallmark of mature Baroque practice.

“A silence so complete it becomes its own witness.”

Where to see The Milkmaid

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. View on the museum’s official page.

See more works at Rijksmuseum or browse the full Johannes Vermeer collection.

A restrained palette and sculptural lighting create a solemn geometry. The wooden crate and letter anchor the narrative with journalistic precision.