The Kitchen c. 1760 - 1771

Willem Joseph Laquy painted 'The Kitchen' in the Netherlands during the 18th century. It offers a glimpse into the domestic life of the Dutch bourgeoisie. But look closer: it's not just a neutral observation. The image is packed with codes about social class. The well-dressed woman is waited on by a maid. The still life elements, like the hanging game bird, suggest wealth and status. It's all rendered in a meticulous style that imitates earlier Dutch masters, but now for a new class of patrons. What makes this painting interesting to the historian is the way it navigates social tensions. The Dutch Republic was a mercantile society, where wealth was increasingly shifting away from the aristocracy and into the hands of merchants. Artists were affected by these shifts. To fully understand this work, we might look at period cookbooks, household inventories, and of course, the writings of social critics. Only then can we begin to unpack the politics embedded in this seemingly simple scene.