Artwork
Maid with a Mousetrap
Maid with a Mousetrap is an ink print by the Baroque artist Nicolaas Verkolje. It dates from 1704 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Maid with a Mousetrap is a 1704 mezzotint print by Nicolaas Verkolje.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a woman and child examining a bowl, with the woman holding a box containing a mouse, likely a trap. The scene is allegorical, potentially conveying a lesson or trick. The composition is framed by heavy curtains, evoking a sense of a staged scene.
Technique & Style
Verkolje employed mezzotint to achieve a high level of detail and shading, creating a dramatic and realistic atmosphere. The use of chiaroscuro, with strong contrasts between light and dark, adds depth to the scene, with shadows cast by a nearby candle.
Artist & collection
Saint Cecilia Accompanied by Heavenly Musicians
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Belphegor
Soo D'oude Songen Soo Pepen De Jongen (As the old sing, so the young twitter)
Belphegor
Dame cachetant une lettre (Woman Sealing a Letter)
Le savetier
Before and After
Jupiter and Mercury in the House of Philemon and Baucis
Belphegor
A Lacemaker, with a Boy Blowing Bubbles
The mousetrap