Artwork
An interior of a barn with a scullery maid at a well
An interior of a barn with a scullery maid at a well is an oil painting. It dates from 1655 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1655 by the workshop of David Teniers II, this oil painting presents a genre scene set within a barn that also functions as a butcher shop.
Created in 1655 by the workshop of David Teniers II, this oil painting presents a genre scene set within a barn that also functions as a butcher shop. The central figure is a scullery maid positioned at a water well, accompanied by a dog. The composition further includes a man and oxen, establishing a bustling rural environment.
As a work of genre art, the piece focuses on depicting everyday life and labor rather than conveying specific religious or allegorical symbolism. The inclusion of livestock and the butcher shop setting highlights the agricultural and domestic activities characteristic of seventeenth-century Flemish depictions of peasant life, representing a straightforward observation of rural existence without deeper iconographic layers indicated in available records.
History & Provenance
The work titled An interior of a barn with a scullery maid at a well was executed in 1655 using oil paint; it belongs to the genre of interior genre scenes. Stylistic analysis places it in the workshop of David Teniers II, reflecting the influence of that master. The painting entered the collection of William Henry Webb before being acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on display.
Its creation history is anchored to the mid‑17th‑century Dutch genre tradition, with the composition depicting a maid at a well within a barn setting.
The painting is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. While specific accession numbers are not detailed in the available records, the work's provenance indicates it was once owned by William Henry Webb before entering the museum's holdings. The provided sources confirm the institution's ownership and the work's physical location but do not list specific exhibition histories or dates for public display.
Overview
This oil painting, titled An interior of a barn with a scullery maid at a well, depicts a bustling rural scene. The composition centers on a woman in an orange dress drawing water from a well inside a barn. Surrounding her, the space is filled with various elements of daily farm life, from hanging provisions to tools, suggesting a moment captured from an active working environment.
Technique & Style
The artist employs a distinctive use of light and shadow to create a sense of depth and realism within the barn interior. Strategic illumination highlights specific elements, such as the hanging provisions and the scullery maid's face, making them appear almost three-dimensional. This dramatic contrast enhances the texture of the rough wooden beams and the overall atmosphere of the working space.
Artist & collection
