The Servant's Place in Dutch Genre Paintings

Dutch genre painting in the 17^th century sought to capture scenes of everyday life. Consequently, the Dutch masters usually chose to depict family-oriented, social, sometimes intimate moments within homes. These paintings frequently include at least one unofficial member of the family: a domestic figure. Often hovering at the elbow of a mistress or in the background of the scene, these servants are almost always female and are usually painted in a moment of occupation, such as bringing refreshments or engaging in menial tasks. In some genre paintings, a servant or laborer is the lone subject. In creating this exhibit, I wanted to determine if domestics are portrayed in a similar fashion across the paintings of Gabriël Metsu, and, more broadly, in genre paintings from this period. The objects I found portray domestic figures whose costumes, postures, and even facial expressions are strikingly alike. This curation seeks to visually argue that the type of the servant figure seen in many Dutch genre paintings is an integral feature of the genre. Though this type is portrayed in similar ways, it serves a variety of functions; sometimes the domestic is just another body in the room, but occasionally the work of the servant or laborer is the focus of the piece.

 Gabriël Metsu, A Musical Party, 1659, oil on canvas, 91.26.11

This painting belongs to the smaller musical party genre that fits into the broader category of genre painting. At first glance, it seems to contain only three opulently dressed amateur musicians; however, they are not alone. A servant has paused at the top of the stairs in the back of the room, holding a pitcher and a tray, disregarded by her superiors but readily visible to the viewer. Her placement in the background and the use of hieratic scale work to cement her status as below that of the figures in the foreground.

 Gabriël Metsu, The Visit to the Nursery, 1661, oil on canvas, 17.190.20

In this stable, very formal work, the color palette is essentially the same as in A Musical Party. In both paintings, an attendant appears toward the back of the scene, apparently having just fetched some needed object. The servant in this painting seems to know her place in the household; even the curve of her body echoes the posture of the woman in front of her. The outfits of the servants correspond on several points; each wears a cap, white shawl or collar of some kind, and a serviceable, plain gown. In each of these works, Metsu chose to depict the domestic figure as a kind of accessory to the scene.

Gabriël Metsu, Woman Reading a Letter, oil on wood, 1664-1666, National Gallery of Ireland

In this colorful, light-filled scene, a woman pores leisurely over a letter as her maid draws back a curtain covering a painting. Unlike the two previous paintings, in this later work Metsu chose to portray mistress and servant on the same scale; there is no difference in size between them, nor is the maid relegated to the background of the scene as in the two previous Metsu paintings. The figures are equally the subject of the painting. 

 Gerard ter Borch the Younger, A Young Woman at Her Toilet with a Maid, ca. 1650-1651, oil on wood, 17.190.10

This painting, completed about ten years before Metsu’s Woman Reading a Letter, is similar in that it also portrays a woman with her servant. However, the way in which the figures are situated in the paintings differs; in the Metsu, although we are unable to see the attendant’s expression, the distinction of rank is somewhat blurred. By contrast, when viewing this painting the observer’s eyes are drawn to the maid’s watchful, almost apprehensive countenance. Here the discrepancy in social status is clear.

Johannes Vermeer, The Milkmaid, 1660, oil on canvas, Rijksmuseum

Here, the domestic figure is the focus of the painting. She does not fade into the background of a formal social scene or family gathering; the purpose of the painting is to glorify her humble task of straining milk. There is no reminder of the distinction of rank; the servant is in her element. The beautiful natural light entering through the window and bathing the scene echoes the scene in Metsu’s Woman Reading a Letter. Vermeer saw this menial, everyday act as equally worthy of being celebrated.

Hendrick Sorgh, A Kitchen, ca. 1643, oil on wood, 89.15.7

In the final piece of this curation, we see two domestics preparing food in a kitchen. Interestingly, both wear the cap, shawl, and plain dress previously seen in Metsu’s paintings; perhaps this outfit was the standard uniform for domestics at the time. While the servants at first glance to be the subjects of the work, a closer look reveals their labor to be a front for the mischief of the giggling couple barely visible between them. The faces of the servants betray their amusement as they attempt to ignore what is transpiring behind them. In this example of Dutch genre painting, the servants are acting as both subjects and accessories to the scene.