Artwork
Woman at the hearth
Woman at the hearth is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jacob Vrel. It dates from 1658 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The hearth’s fire and the woman’s quiet, solitary posture emphasize the quiet rhythms of everyday life in the Dutch Republic during the mid-seventeenth century.
The painting depicts an interior scene centered on a woman standing before a hearth, her back to the viewer, absorbed in domestic labor. The hearth’s fire and the woman’s quiet, solitary posture emphasize the quiet rhythms of everyday life in the Dutch Republic during the mid-seventeenth century.
Scholars interpret the scene as an allegory of industriousness and familial care, aligning with contemporary Dutch moralizing imagery that extolled the virtues of household virtue. The solitary figure and the modest, unadorned interior further suggest themes of quiet devotion and the dignity of routine work rather than overt narrative or moral exhortation.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1658, Woman at the hearth is an oil painting applied on a wooden panel. The work measures 36 cm in height and 27.5 cm in width. As a genre scene, the composition focuses on domestic interior subject matter, characteristic of the artist's output during this period. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
History & Provenance
The painting Woman at the hearth is dated 1658 by internal records and is attributed to Jacob Vrel.
It entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it remains held today. The work’s provenance prior to its acquisition by the museum is not documented in the cited sources.
Jacob Vrel's 1658 oil painting Woman at the hearth is part of the permanent collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The work, executed on panel, measures 36 cm in height and 27.5 cm in width. While the sources confirm its current location within the museum, they do not provide a specific inventory or accession number for the piece. Additionally, the available documentation does not record any past or future exhibition history for this specific artwork.
Overview
Woman at the hearth is a 1658 oil painting by Jacob Vrel, a Dutch artist known for his interior and street scenes. The work is a characteristic example of a genre scene, a type of painting that focuses on everyday life.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jacob Vrel (fl. 1654 – c.1670) was a Dutch, Flemish, or Westphalian painter of interiors and urban street scenes during the Dutch Golden Age (1588–1672). He was likely most active from 1654 to 1662.
