Artwork
Girl at a window, known as 'The daydreamer'
Girl at a window, known as 'The daydreamer' is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Nicolaes Maes. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Overview
Nicolaes Maes, a Dutch artist who studied with Rembrandt, painted *Girl at a Window*—also called *The Daydreamer*—around 1650. Executed in oil, the work belongs to the genre‑scene tradition of the Dutch Golden Age, which favoured intimate depictions of everyday moments. The painting is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas shows a young girl seated beside a window, her chin resting on a hand as she looks outward. She wears a brown dress and a red‑and‑white headscarf, and a faintly marked sheet or paper lies before her. A branch bearing bright red berries protrudes from the window opening, suggesting a quiet, contemplative atmosphere.
Technique & Style
Maes employs a restrained palette and a strong contrast of light and shadow, a chiaroscuro effect that isolates the figure from the dim interior. The soft illumination falls on the girl’s face, while the surrounding darkness recedes, creating a focused, three‑dimensional presence typical of his early genre work.
History & Provenance
Originally painted in Maes’s early career while he was still active in Dordrecht, the work later entered the Dutch national collection. It now resides in the Rijksmuseum, where it is displayed among other 17th‑century Dutch genre paintings.
Context
During the mid‑17th century, Dutch artists often portrayed domestic interiors and solitary figures, reflecting a cultural interest in private life and moral reflection. Maes, who later became Amsterdam’s foremost portraitist, continued this tradition in his early pieces, using everyday scenes to explore mood and character.
Artist & collection
Artist
Nicolaes Maes (January 1634 – December 1693; buried 24 December 1693) was a Dutch painter known for his genre scenes, portraits, religious compositions and the occasional still life.
