Young Woman Chopping Onions

1724

Not on view

The print reproduces (in reverse) Dou's small panel, dated 1646, in Buckingham Palace. Along with the young woman's glance, several motifs tease the viewer. The bird and the open jug symbolize male and female forms, which join together in a manner demonstrated by the mortar and pestle (next to an erect candlestick). The empty birdcage implies that virtue has flown the coop. Onions have been considered aphrodisiacs since ancient times. The French verse captures the spirit of Dou's picture by speaking for the viewer, who tells the kitchen maid that, although she surely knows how to make a tempting ragout, his appetite is for her.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Secondary Titles

Provenance

Catalogue Raisonné

Title: Young Woman Chopping Onions
Artist: Louis Surugue (French, Paris ca. 1686–1762 Grand Vaux)
Artist: After Gerrit Dou (Dutch, Leiden 1613–1675 Leiden)
Date: 1724
Medium: Engraving
Dimensions: Sheet: 12 1/16 x 8 3/4 in. (30.7 x 22.3 cm)
Plate: 10 13/16 x 7 1/2 in. (27.5 x 19 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Gift of Georgiana W. Sargent, in memory of John Osborne Sargent, 1924
Object Number: 24.63.1656
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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