A Kitchen Maid at Work
1634
From the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst
This painting shows three people in a dim, shadowy room. One person is stirring a big pot over a fire, another is kneeling with a bowl, and a third stands nearby holding a ladle. The background is dark, and the faces are blurred, but the hands and objects look real. Light falls mostly on the pots and the person stirring. The dark background and strong light on the objects make the scene feel dramatic. This style was used to draw attention to the people working hard. Look up chiaroscuro to learn about this lighting technique.
