Who painted Dairy Maid?

Dairy Maid was painted by Aelbert Cuyp in 1640.

Where can I see Dairy Maid?

Dairy Maid is held by Hermitage Museum.

What movement is Dairy Maid?

Dairy Maid is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

Artwork

Dairy Maid

Aelbert Cuyp , 1640

Dairy Maid is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Aelbert Cuyp. It dates from 1640 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.

About this work

Overview

Aelbert Cuyp’s *Dairy Maid*, executed in oil around 1640, presents a quiet rural vignette. The composition centers on a milkmaid seated beside a cow, set within a gently rolling landscape that stretches toward a muted horizon. The work exemplifies Cuyp’s characteristic use of warm, diffused light to render everyday agrarian life with calm clarity.

Subject & Meaning

The painting captures a moment of domestic labor: a woman in a white apron and red vest milks a brown‑and‑white cow. The interaction emphasizes the harmonious relationship between human and animal, reflecting the 17th‑century Dutch appreciation for pastoral productivity and the dignity of ordinary work.

Technique & Style

Cuyp employs a soft, luminous palette, allowing light to bathe the figures and surrounding foliage. Fine brushwork renders the texture of the cow’s hide and the folds of the maid’s clothing, while broader strokes suggest distant trees and sky, creating depth without sacrificing the scene’s intimate focus.

History & Provenance

Born in Dordrecht, Cuyp was trained by his father Jacob Gerritszoon Cuyp and became a leading figure in Dutch Golden Age landscape painting. *Dairy Maid* entered the collection of the State Hermitage Museum, where it remains part of the museum’s holdings of 17th‑century Dutch art.

Artist & collection

Artist

Aelbert Cuyp

Aelbert Jacobszoon Cuyp or Cuijp (Dutch pronunciation: ; 20 October 1620 – 15 November 1691) was one of the leading Dutch Golden Age painters, producing mainly landscapes.