Artwork
Woman plucking a fowl
Woman plucking a fowl is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Rembrandt. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Overview
Around the middle of the 17th century, Rembrandt van Rijn produced a modestly sized oil on canvas that records a quiet domestic activity. The work shows a solitary woman engaged in the preparation of a bird, rendered with the restrained palette and intimate scale typical of the artist’s genre pieces.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure, clothed in a dark, modest dress and head covering, is captured in the act of removing the feathers from a rooster. The composition emphasizes the tactile labor of kitchen work, offering a glimpse into everyday life and the routine tasks that sustained Dutch households of the period.
Technique & Style
Rembrandt employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, allowing a soft light to fall on the woman’s face and hands while the surrounding space recedes into shadow. This contrast not only models the forms with a three‑dimensional quality but also draws attention to the textures of skin, fabric, and plumage.
History & Provenance
The painting entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it remains part of the institution’s holdings of Dutch Golden Age art. Its attribution to Rembrandt has been affirmed through stylistic analysis and documentation dating the work to circa 1650.
Artist & collection
Artist
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), known mononymously as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and draughtsman.
