Artwork
A Mother Giving her Child the Breast
A Mother Giving her Child the Breast is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Domenicus van Tol. It dates from 1668 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Historically, such imagery in Dutch Golden Age art often symbolized natural virtue, charity, and the nurturing role of women within the household.
Created in 1668 by Domenicus van Tol, this oil painting on panel depicts a domestic genre scene featuring a woman breastfeeding an infant. The work's iconography centers on the intimate act of maternal care, explicitly portraying the physical bond between mother and child. Historically, such imagery in Dutch Golden Age art often symbolized natural virtue, charity, and the nurturing role of women within the household.
The composition is noted as being based on the thematic precedent of 'The Young Mother,' suggesting a deliberate engagement with established visual traditions regarding motherhood. By focusing on this tender interaction, the piece represents the idealized values of family life and maternal duty prevalent in the era.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil-on-panel painting executed in 1668, measuring 49.5 cm in height and 37.5 cm in width. It depicts a woman nursing an infant, rendered with the careful detail characteristic of the Dutch genre scene tradition. The composition reflects the influence of Gerrit Dou’s style as interpreted by Domenicus van Tol, whose authorship is confirmed by multiple sources.
The painting is executed in oil paint on a wooden panel, a medium commonly used for small-scale domestic subjects in the 17th century.
History & Provenance
A Mother Giving her Child the Breast is an oil painting created in 1668 by Domenicus van Tol. It measures 49.5 cm by 37.5 cm and was originally owned by Adriaan van der Hoop before entering the collections of the Rijksmuseum and Amsterdam Museum. The work is classified as a genre scene depicting a woman and infant and is linked to the earlier composition The Young Mother.
A Mother Giving her Child the Breast by Domenicus van Tol is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. According to the Wikidata record, the painting is part of the collection of the Rijksmuseum and the Amsterdam Museum, and was formerly owned by Adriaan van der Hoop. The work is catalogued as part of the Adriaan van der Hoop collection.
No exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Context
Created in 1668 by Domenicus van Tol, A Mother Giving her Child the Breast is a genre painting executed in oil on panel. The work is recognized as being based on Gerrit Dou's composition The Young Mother, linking van Tol to the tradition of Leiden fine painting and the influence of his teacher. Art-historical analysis positions the piece within the Dutch Golden Age's focus on domestic intimacy, depicting a woman and infant in a manner characteristic of the period's genre art.
The painting is currently held by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam as part of the Adriaan van der Hoop collection, where it stands as a specific example of van Tol's engagement with Dou's iconography.
Overview
Domenicus van Tol’s oil painting A Mother Giving her Child the Breast was executed in 1668. The work belongs to the Dutch genre tradition, portraying everyday life with a focus on domestic intimacy. It is part of the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
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