Arcadópolis
The Milkmaid of Bordeaux
Francisco de Goya, c. 1825–1827
What you see
A seated young woman fills almost the whole canvas. She turns to the left and looks down with a faint smile. Her hair is tucked under a dark headscarf, and a shawl wraps her shoulders. At the lower left, right at the edge, a jug peeks into view, and her gaze seems to drift toward it.
The brushwork is loose and plain to see. The background mixes blues, greens and greys that seem to drift like clouds, and the shawl is built from crisscrossing strokes of grey, blue and ochre. Her pink cheeks are the warmest note. Look closely at the shawl: from afar it reads as fabric, up close it is pure brushwork.
About Francisco de Goya
Francisco de Goya was born in Fuendetodos, Aragon, and became court painter to the kings of Spain. He painted elegant portraits, cheerful scenes for tapestries and also the horrors of war. He kept experimenting until the end of his life, and many consider him the first modern painter.
More by Francisco de Goya
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