A Housewife Instructing her Maid 1644 - 1683

Pieter de Hooch rendered this scene with oil on canvas, a patient accumulation of many thin layers of pigment. Look closely, and you'll see the painting is concerned with the labor of the domestic sphere, the textures of textiles, the gleam of metal, and the varied surfaces of the built environment. Note the precise depiction of the woven laundry basket. The meticulous detail suggests an appreciation for craft, and we are invited to consider the amount of work that goes into maintaining a household, a social and economic world. While de Hooch certainly wasn't alone in this, the way he used paint feels sympathetic to these processes, mimicking the build-up of glazes and the layering of materials found in daily life. The painting is not just a representation of a scene, but an embodiment of the values associated with it. By considering the artwork in this way, we can look beyond traditional notions of fine art and appreciate the skill and artistry involved in the everyday.