ticketsMember | Make a donation

The Lacemaker

ca. 1656
Not on view
Painted slightly after the artist’s Young Woman Peeling Apples (on view nearby), this scene reveals Maes’s increasing interest in anecdotal, domestic detail as he moved further out of Rembrandt’s shadow. Here, he shows a young mother absorbed in the meticulous work of lace-making, while her baby looks boldly out at the viewer from his high chair. As in many of Maes’s other works, the color red—on the mother’s bodice, baby’s hat, and tablecloth—provides a unifying element.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Lacemaker
  • Artist: Nicolaes Maes (Dutch, Dordrecht 1634–1693 Amsterdam)
  • Date: ca. 1656
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 17 3/4 x 20 3/4 in. (45.1 x 52.7 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: The Friedsam Collection, Bequest of Michael Friedsam, 1931
  • Object Number: 32.100.5
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Studies of Two Men and a Woman Teaching a Child to Walk, Nicolaes Maes Dutch, Pen and brown ink; framing lines in pen and brown ink
Studies of Two Men and a Woman Teaching a Child to Walk
Nicolaes Maes
Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn)
1645–50
The Young Mother, Nicolaes Maes Dutch, Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, with framing line in pen and brown ink
The Young Mother
Nicolaes Maes
1655–57
The Scolding Fishwife, Nicolaes Maes Dutch, Pen and ink, brush and brown wash, with traces of red chalk.
The Scolding Fishwife
Nicolaes Maes
17th century
Christ among the Doctors, Nicolaes Maes Dutch, Pen and brush and brown ink.
Christ among the Doctors
Nicolaes Maes
School of Rembrandt van Rijn
ca. 1652
Young Woman Peeling Apples, Nicolaes Maes Dutch, Oil on wood
Young Woman Peeling Apples
Nicolaes Maes
ca. 1655

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.