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Vermeer's 'The Milkmaid' at the Met: A 2009 Exhibition and Scholarly Analysis

exhibition · 2026-04-22

From September 10 to November 29, 2009, 'The Milkmaid,' a painting by Johannes Vermeer, was on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, courtesy of the Rijksmuseum. This artwork, created circa 1657-58, is nearly 18 inches tall and lacks both a signature and a date. Curator Walter Liedtke places it in the context of Vermeer’s early maturity, highlighting its textured surface and culinary theme. The piece illustrates a maidservant pouring milk in a brightly lit room, emphasizing Vermeer’s mastery of light. Liedtke draws parallels between the maid and works by Pieter Brueghel the Elder and Édouard Manet. His notable publications include 'The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer' (2009) and 'Vermeer: The Complete Paintings' (2008).

Key facts

  • Vermeer's 'The Milkmaid' was exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art from September 10 to November 29, 2009
  • The painting is on loan from the Rijksmuseum
  • The work was created around 1657-58, during Vermeer's early maturity
  • Met curator Walter Liedtke authored publications on Vermeer including 'The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer' (2009)
  • The painting measures nearly a foot and a half in each dimension and is neither signed nor dated
  • Liedtke contextualizes the work within Dutch professional culture of the southern Netherlands
  • The essay by Bill Berkson appears in his collection 'For the Ordinary Artist' published by BlazeVOX [books]
  • The collection includes Berkson's report from the 2009 Venice Biennale

Entities

Artists

  • Johannes Vermeer
  • Bill Berkson
  • Pieter Brueghel the Elder
  • Piero della Francesca
  • Jan van Eyck
  • Édouard Manet
  • Willem de Kooning
  • Nicolas Poussin
  • Carel Fabritius
  • Rembrandt
  • Frank O'Hara
  • James Schuyler
  • Descartes
  • Spinoza

Institutions

  • Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • Rijksmuseum
  • Frick Collection
  • BlazeVOX [books]
  • Art in America
  • Artforum
  • artcritical
  • Venice Biennale
  • Rembrandt Society

Locations

  • New York City
  • United States
  • Amsterdam
  • Netherlands
  • Venice
  • Italy

Sources