The Kitchen Maid 

Joachim Wtewael painted The Kitchen Maid in oil on panel sometime in the early 17th century. Here the artist is drawing on everyday life, while also showing his mastery of the traditional skills of painting. Wtewael has clearly revelled in the textures of flesh, feather, and metal: the gleaming blade of the knife, the yielding meat, the rough basket weave, and the glazed ceramics. He is also interested in the amount of work involved in food preparation. This isn't just about ingredients but about labour. The artist is drawing attention to the different social classes present in the painting, and we can see those dining in the background, waited on by the kitchen staff. Wtewael encourages us to admire the artistry that has gone into the painting, but also to think about the role of labor in producing everyday objects, and to recognize the value of the work required to provide food for the wealthy.