ARTWORKS

An Interior, with a Man and a Woman seated by a Fire

Quiringh Gerritsz van Brekelenkam (after 1622–1669 or after)

The National Gallery, London

An Interior, with a Man and a Woman seated by a Fire

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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This is a painting paying homage to diligent housekeeping, domestic harmony and a contented husband and wife. We are in a kitchen, so the woman takes centre stage and she sits bathed in light from the high window. She catches our eye, confident perhaps that we will approve of her housekeeping. The pots and pans are clean and orderly, and she has laid out a lunch of bread, cheese and ham on an immaculate cloth – a simple meal, but there is plenty of it. The man puffs on his pipe and enjoys the heat of the fire. His job was not to help in the kitchen, but to provide the money for the household. They are also a patriotic couple: a map of the Netherlands hangs by the chimney breast. However, the scene is not a real one. Van Brekelenkam is representing an atmospheric moment in an ideal home.

The National Gallery, London

London

Read more on The National Gallery, London
Title

An Interior, with a Man and a Woman seated by a Fire

Date

1653

Medium

Oil on oak

Measurements

H 51.4 x W 70.5 cm

Accession number

NG1329

Acquisition method

Bought, 1891

Work type

Painting

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Normally on display at

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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Artist or maker

Quiringh Gerritsz van Brekelenkam

after 1622–1669 or after

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