1650
oil
canvas
From the collection of Capitoline Museums
Dominant colour
Old peasant is a 1650 oil by Michiel Sweerts, a Flemish Baroque painting work, held at Capitoline Museums.
The painting depicts an old peasant, likely a woman, sitting with her legs crossed. She wears a white head covering, a red shawl over a brown jacket, and a blue skirt. In her right hand, she holds a spinning tool with a spindle of yarn. Her left hand grasps a distaff, a tool used to hold unspun fibers. The background is dark, which contrasts with the subject's clothing and the tools she uses. The painting's use of chiaroscuro creates a sense of depth and highlights the subject's face and hands. The artist's attention to detail is evident in the texture of the subject's clothing and the tools she holds. This painting is reminiscent of the work of artists who use chiaroscuro to create a sense of drama and depth.
Michiel Sweerts or Michael Sweerts (29 September 1618 – 1 June 1664) was a Flemish painter and printmaker of the Baroque period, who is known for his allegorical and genre paintings, portraits and tronies.
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