Vermeer's First Masterpiece: The Milkmaid

Who was Vermeer? And why is his painting of a humble kitchen maid considered one of the greatest achievements of the Dutch Golden Age? Is The Milkmaid laden with hidden religious and erotic meanings, or simply a perfectly realised depiction of everyday life? Join Alastair and James as they unravel the many mysteries of Vermeer's first masterpiece. If you want to see the artworks discussed in this episode you can switch on video in your podcast app at any time. Artworks in this episode: Johannes Vermeer, The Milkmaid, 1657-58, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam Gerard ter Borch, The Letter, 1660-65, The Royal Collection, London Jan Steen, The Feast of St. Nicholas, 1663-65, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam Carel Fabritius, A View of Delft, with a Musical Instrument Seller's Stall, 1652, The National Gallery, London Johannes Vermeer, Saint Praxedis, c.1655, National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo Johannes Vermeer, The Procuress, 1656, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden Johannes Vermeer, Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window, c. 1657-59, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden Domenico Fiasella, Queen Artemisia, c. 1645, Private Collection For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Catherine Ingram and Laura Sovilla Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac 00:00 Introduction: The Milkmaid 05:35 The Dutch Golden Age and Delft 08:57 Vermeer's Early Life and Family 21:51 Vermeer's Early Works 28:19 Analyzing The Milkmaid 45:22 Meaning and Interpretation 1:02:41 The 1660s: Vermeer at His Peak 1:03:31 The Disaster Year and Vermeer's Death