Description
The painting Old Woman Peeling Apples by the Dutch artist Nicolaes Maes is a work that captivates with its realism and painstaking detail. The work, with an original size of 55 x 50 cm, shows an old woman peeling apples in a kitchen, surrounded by utensils and everyday objects.
Maes' artistic style, influenced by his teacher Rembrandt, is characterized by the use of light and shadow to create depth and texture in his works. In Old Woman Peeling Apples, we can appreciate how the light enters through the window and reflects on the objects in the kitchen, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
The composition of the painting is also very interesting, with the old woman in the center of the work and the kitchen objects arranged in an orderly manner around her. Furthermore, the use of perspective allows us to see beyond the kitchen, through an open door, and glimpse an exterior landscape.
Color is another aspect to highlight in this painting. Maes uses a palette of warm, earthy tones, reflecting the simplicity and humility of everyday life. The details in the kitchen objects, such as ceramics and metal, are represented with great precision and realism.
The history of the painting is also fascinating. It is believed to have been painted around 1655, during the time Maes was working in Rembrandt's studio in Amsterdam. The work was acquired by the National Museum of Scotland in 1961 and has been exhibited in numerous European art exhibitions.
As for little-known aspects, it is said that the old woman in the painting is the mother of Maes himself, which gives a personal and emotional touch to the work. Furthermore, some experts have suggested that the painting could be an allegory of virtue and modesty, values held in high esteem in 17th-century Dutch society.
In short, Old Woman Peeling Apples is a work that invites us to stop and contemplate the beauty of everyday life, through a realistic and detailed representation of domestic life in 17th century Holland.