Artwork
Sleeping Man having his Pockets Picked
Sleeping Man having his Pockets Picked is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Nicolaes Maes. It dates from 1655 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
About this work
Overview
Nicolaes Maes painted *Sleeping Man having his Pockets Picked* in 1655. Executed in oil on canvas, the work belongs to the Dutch Golden Age genre tradition, depicting a quiet domestic interior with a narrative focus on everyday deceit.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows a man in a dark hat and maroon coat slumped over a table, his head resting on his hand as he sleeps. A woman in a gold‑and‑black dress stands behind him, her hand concealed inside his coat as she pilfers his pockets, suggesting a moment of covert trickery within a familiar setting.
Technique & Style
Maes employs chiaroscuro, contrasting a dimly lit interior with deeper shadows to heighten the sense of secrecy. The limited palette of muted reds, browns, and blacks emphasizes the figures, while the careful rendering of textures—fabric, metal pitcher, and wood—reflects his training under Rembrandt.
History & Provenance
After completing his apprenticeship with Rembrandt, Maes worked in Dordrecht for about twenty years before moving to Amsterdam, where he became a leading portraitist. The painting entered the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where it remains in the permanent collection.
Context
Genre scenes like this were popular in mid‑17th‑century Holland, offering moral commentary through everyday episodes. Maes’s choice of a sleeping victim and a sly thief aligns with contemporary cautionary tales about vigilance and the perils of complacency.
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.
