Dutch Baroque vs. French Realism

Southern New Hampshire University

Analysis Between Dutch Baroque and French Realism

Johannes Vermeer Jean-Francois Millet

The Milkmaid Woman Baking Bread

Circa 1657-1658 1854

45.5 x 41 cm 55 x 46 cm

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands Rijksmuseum, Otterlo, Netherlands

Oil Painting Oil Painting

Jessica Kang

Introduction to Humanities II/FAS 202

Professor David Underwood

October 20, 2013

Jessica Kang

Professor David Underwood

FAS 202

October 20, 2013

Dutch Baroque vs. French Realism

Throughout the ages, art has been one of many ways to communicate with our history. Every painting, drawing, sculpture, etc. tells us a story of that time period and if we look hard enough, we can even feel what the people of that time may have been feeling. In this essay, two pieces of art will be introduced and interpreted: The Milkmaid (circa 1657-1658) by Johannes Vermeer which is a Dutch Baroque oil painting that's 45.5 x 41 cm located in Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands and Woman Baking Bread (1854) by Jean-Francois Millet which is a French Realism oil painting that's 55 x 46 cm located in Rijksmuseum Kröller-Müller, Otterlo, Netherlands. The agenda of this comparison is to understand different styles between the Dutch Baroque and French Realism, and to show how Vermeer and Millet deal with the same every day domestic theme in a different way.

During the 17th century, artists were focusing more on emotion and drama, also known as the Baroque time period. The overall style of Baroque art in paintings is "detailed realism in portraits, expansive landscapes, and a focus on the dramatic including the contrast between light and shadow and the use of rich, deep colors." (MindEdge, 2.05) Vermeer worked mainly in the Dutch Baroque style and does a magnificent job in portraying and bringing to life an everyday task in the life of a servant girl in The Milkmaid. On the other hand, Woman Baking Bread was painted in the Realist style during...