Standing farm girl with stick

Koelman employs a pronounced impasto technique, applying thick layers of paint especially on the woman’s skirt and the surrounding grasses. This tactile surface heightens the visual contrast between the muted sky and the vivid, textured earth, lending a palpable sense of materiality to the scene.

Created in the mid‑19th century, the painting entered the Rijksmuseum’s holdings through acquisition in the early 20th century. Its provenance traces back to private Dutch collections, reflecting the period’s interest in realistic portrayals of everyday rural life.