Artwork
Milking Time
Milking Time is an oil painting by the Biedermeier artist Jacob van Strij. It dates from 1807 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1807 by Dutch artist Jacob van Strij, *Milking Time* is an oil painting that illustrates a quiet moment of agricultural labor. The work belongs to the Biedermeier period and is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection, reflecting the artist’s focus on everyday countryside scenes.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a woman seated on a stool, milking a cow amid a verdant field. Dressed in a long skirt and apron, she engages in a gentle, routine task while additional cattle graze nearby and a stone wall and trees frame the background, emphasizing the dignity of ordinary rural life.
Technique & Style
Van Strij employs warm, golden hues that lend the scene a calm atmosphere. The brushwork is smooth and assured, revealing careful attention to texture in the foliage, the cow’s hide, and the woman’s clothing. The overall effect is a balanced, naturalistic rendering typical of Biedermeier aesthetics.
History & Provenance
Since its completion, the painting has remained in the Netherlands, eventually entering the Rijksmuseum’s holdings. Its presence in a national institution underscores its relevance as a representative example of early‑19th‑century Dutch landscape painting and the period’s interest in portraying everyday labor.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Jacob van Strij (2 October 1756 – 4 February 1815) was a Dutch painter, printmaker, and draftsman who was mainly interested in landscape painting, including mountain landscapes, winter landscapes and marines.
