Who painted Sleeping girl?

Sleeping girl was painted by Jan Baptist Weenix in 1656.

Where can I see Sleeping girl?

Sleeping girl is held by Bavarian State Painting Collections.

What movement is Sleeping girl?

Sleeping girl is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

Artwork

Sleeping girl

Jan Baptist Weenix , 1656

Sleeping girl is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan Baptist Weenix. It dates from 1656 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.

About this work

Overview

Jan Baptist Weenix, an artist active during the Dutch Golden Age, completed the oil painting *Sleeping Girl* in 1656. The work exemplifies the period’s genre scenes, portraying a quiet, domestic moment rather than a grand historical narrative. It is part of the collection of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.

Subject & Meaning

The composition centers on a young woman reclining on a stone bench, her head supported by her right hand while she drifts asleep. She is dressed in a white bodice, a red skirt, and a light shawl, and a dog lies at her feet. A figure in a red hat watches from a nearby arch, adding a subtle narrative of observation and intimacy.

Technique & Style

Weenix employs chiaroscuro to model the figures, using contrasts of light and shadow to give the forms a three‑dimensional presence. The muted tones of the stone architecture are punctuated by the vivid reds and whites of the clothing, creating a balanced palette that guides the eye toward the central figures. The brushwork is smooth, typical of Dutch genre painting of the mid‑17th century.

History & Provenance

Created in the mid‑1650s, *Sleeping Girl* reflects Weenix’s brief but prolific career, during which he produced Italianate landscapes, harbor views, and still lifes. The painting entered the Alte Pinakothek’s holdings at an unspecified date, where it remains on display as an example of Dutch genre painting within the museum’s broader European collection.