PROJECT 2-Painting

Pieter de Hooch. At the Linen Closet. 1663. Oil on canvas, 72 x 77.5 cm. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

This painting shows the domestic duties of women during the period. Hooch has included 3 figures here, each with their own significance and meaning. The maid portrays the type of well to do house hold that this picture frames whilst also juxtaposing against the younger housewife that is lending a hand. The small figure of the child playing insinuates this role played by a housewife while the clothes of all three figures represents the social status of the family. Situated so as to gain a vista of the canals, this house has been given meaning by the materials represented through the beautifully constructed scene. The stairs again play an important role in stating the symbol of wealth associated with this family.