Wonderful.
Pieter de Hooch moved from Delft to Amsterdam around 1660-61, so this masterpieces is from the outset of his Amsterdam period (so, still Delft-influenced).
It’s the classic theme of Dutch virtue in genre paintings - a polite/industrious boy, with a basket of bread, offering some to a respectable lady standing in the doorway of her perfect & orderly home.
As always with de Hooch, a technical tour de force.
Beautiful way the light & shadow interact with both people.
Skirt’s red-orange silky vividness greatly contrasts with her black velvet jacket.
The doorkijkje technique of nested spaces that draw the viewer deeper into the painting.
A distant female figure - perhaps the boy’s mother?
Incredible window, with the stained glass windows and the yellow curtains filtering the light softly.
Marvelous as always!
ReplyDeleteAs you say, the doorkijkje technique again, used very effectively. Yes, perhaps the other woman is his mother, waiting for some acknowledgment of her generosity.
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