Artwork
Milking Time
Milking Time is an unspecified painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan van Gool. It dates from 1736 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Overview
Milking Time is a painting depicting a lively farmyard scene. A milkmaid playfully squirts milk into a man's face, surrounded by animals and dogs.
Subject & Meaning
The scene shows a moment of leisure and playfulness, diverging from the typical depiction of quiet, orderly farm work in Dutch art. The title 'Het melkuur' is a pun, as it sounds like 'playtime' in Dutch.
Technique & Style
The painting captures a snapshot-like moment, conveying a sense of messiness and life. The artist's use of everyday rural life as a subject adds to the scene's informality.
Context
This work is characteristic of Dutch Golden Age painting, which often explored everyday life and unconventional subjects.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Johan, or Jan van Gool (1685–1763), was a Dutch painter and writer from The Hague, now remembered mainly as a biographer of artists from the Dutch Golden Age.
