Het melkmeisje 1823 - 1900

Johann Wilhelm Kaiser made this artwork, "The Milkmaid", using etching and drypoint. It's currently held at the Rijksmuseum. Kaiser produced this print in the nineteenth century, a period when Dutch art and culture of the Golden Age gained renewed attention. We can see how Kaiser drew inspiration from the Dutch master Johannes Vermeer's famous painting of the same subject. However, Kaiser’s print also exists within a different social context. Unlike the unique oil painting by Vermeer, it's a print that could be widely reproduced and distributed. This connects to the 19th-century rise of art institutions such as museums and academies, which played an increasing role in shaping artistic taste and national identity. Kaiser's "Milkmaid" reflects a desire to connect with a perceived glorious past but also engages with the social transformations of the 19th century. To fully understand this work, we can investigate the printmaking industry of the time, exhibition records, and writings on art and national identity.