Old woman reading at a spinning wheel, 1658

Old Woman Reading at a Spinning Wheel from 1658 by Nicolaes Maes is one of his finest early genre paintings, combining two domestic activities in a scene of quiet concentration. These intimate domestic scenes from Maes's early career are his most artistically distinguished works. Maes's early genre scenes, executed shortly after leaving Rembrandt's studio around 1654, show the master's influence in their warm chiaroscuro and concentrated psychological attention. These intimate domestic interi...

The warm Rembrandtesque chiaroscuro creates an intimate atmosphere, with the reading woman illuminated by gentle light filtering into the domestic interior.