The Milkmaid of Bordeaux

1825
Francisco Goya, The Milkmaid of Bordeaux, 1825-1827

After Francisco Goya's death, his reputation skyrocketed. Curators from France and England were buying all of his pieces. They even purchased paintings that were given to Goya's son. People from other countries knew that he was a eccentric sketch artist, and they thought his paintings were not held to the same standard.

During a short period after his death, some of his friends searched through his home in Bordeaux to find that Goya was a hoarder.  Whereas some artists would keep some unfinished sketches and paintings, Goya kept many of finished pieces that critics deemed as masterpieces. The Milkmaid of Bordeaux was one of these pieces that Goya hid from the world. He spent a long time perfecting the details of this image. 

The curve of the woman's back, along with her content facial expression, bring harmony to the painting. This is a typical Goya painting, due to the background and source of light hovering around the milkmaid's body. Pulsating like an aura, creating a heavenly layer to the painting. The amount of time that Goya spent on this painting, stands out from the rest of the portraits of other females. There is more dimension and poise of this woman than in other works such as The Duchess of Alba I. 

The Milkmaid of Bordeaux, exemplifies the artistic ability of Francisco Goya. He creates pieces that make people think, and have personal affiliations behind. But this piece is more serene and enjoyable than some pieces because of the tones of blues and light sources. Goya can do dark and creepy like no other, but it shows his talent that show us something so beautiful.

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The Milkmaid

Gabbi Fenaroli
Jan Vermeer, The Milkmaid, 1658

I would not call her the picture of adolescent beauty. To be honest I think Vermeer used an Olympic male swimmer to model for her shoulders. I mean, come on, you don’t get muscles like those milking cows. Or maybe you do? I might live in Kansas, but I do stay a fair distance away from cows. She is not even the focus of the painting though. Our direction is drawn to her hands, the chore she is performing. Her devoutness to the household she serves. The emotional pull towards the painting comes from her honest and hard work.

Vermeer’s works consist mainly of scenes depicting wealthy families, clothed in fine robes and furs, taking part in things exclusively for the privileged, i.e. The Music Lesson. However, the scene here strikes the viewer as entirely different. The intimacy within the painting cannot be missed. Where there used to be a wall separating the viewer from the scene, Vermeer chooses to allow the Milkmaid to solely encompass the scene. He is able to take something so domestic, so mundane and make it feel like a piece of heaven -  something sacred and special. He takes care in panting every detail because he realizes its importance to the painting as a whole. The window adds light and warmth to the scene, the copper pot and basket relate back to the milkmaid’s act, and lastly the foot warmer in the corner shows the maids diligence in performing her job.

The colors in the painting appear calmer than the ones characteristic to Vermeer. Simple blues, whites, and yellows. It is almost as if Vermeer is saying look what I can do with a limited palate, look what I can create. The single silhouette against the bare wall, the vessels, breads and baskets all shine in the light that pours in from the window. The objects all have points where shimmering light hits them, and Vermeer’s talent is exemplified. I marvel at the young woman's steady hand and concentrated stare, for there are times I wish I had such dedication to my homework. Or really anything these days. Senioritis is a thing and it's pretty debilitating; however, looking at The Milkmaid gives me the motivation to go on.
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