A Little Girl rocking a Cradle
- Artist: Nicolaes Maes
- Date: about 1655
- Medium: oil on wood
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is "A Little Girl rocking a Cradle" painted in the Netherlands by Nicolaes Maes around 1655. The little girl looks no more than five years old, but she's been given the responsibility of looking after the baby that sleeps soundly next to her.
The warm browns and reds used in the painting invite us into this cosy, intimate place. You can see the deep shadows and softly gleaming light on the little girl's forehead and collar, which tell of Maes's training with Rembrandt. The contrast between light and shade creates a sense of depth and adds to the realism of the scene.
The little girl is neat and clean, just like the room she's in. Her hair is impeccable under her bonnet, and her rosy cheeks speak of her health. On her arm, she has a cuff to protect her dress sleeve, which can be removed for washing. Maes places her white apron over the other arm partly to show its cleanliness and partly to set off the textures.
The wicker cradle on its wooden rockers, the gleaming jug, and the pattern of the Turkish carpet on the table are all painted in minute detail. This painting was created for an affluent Dordrecht clientele, and it serves as a reminder of the expectations placed on girls in the Dutch Republic at that time: marriage and motherhood awaited them – there was little or no alternative.
See it in person
A Little Girl rocking a Cradle hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
