From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Milkmaid (De Melkmeid), sometimes called The Kitchen Maid, is a painting of a milkmaid by the Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer, and is housed in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
De Melkmeid
I have been to a couple of museums over the years, but never anything like the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
In European history, it seems just about every country had a “golden age.” Back when the Dutch were doing good, they put a lot of discretionary spending into supporting the arts. The results included what we call the “Dutch Masters.” No, not the Dutch Masters as in a brand of natural wrapped cigar sold in America. I mean those 17th century painters who created masterpieces on canvas. We visited the Rijksmuseum once, because it was on the list of touristy things to do when visiting Amsterdam. If we ever go back, I would spend a lot more time in front of paintings like De Melkmeid. A picture of a painting is like a recording of a Grateful Dead song. It is still a song, but if you ever heard the Dead in concert, you know there really is no comparison. I would have bought a Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn t-shirt if someone had been selling them outside the museum.
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