A Lady at a Spinning-wheel

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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A young woman takes a moment from her spinning to look out from a dark room, her gaze direct. Although she holds a long length of raw half-spun wool, her mind isn‘t on the task. She’s more interested in whoever has taken her by surprise.

Netscher specialised in small genre scenes before he took to portrait painting, and such pictures of women alone in a domestic setting seem to bridge the gap between the two – half genre, half portrait. This seems like a real woman looking out at us, though we don’t know who she was.

Like his teacher, Gerard ter Borch, Netscher took pains to portray texture faithfully, especially the rich fabrics of the fashions of his day. Here, he has added a subtle erotic nuance – in the wool she brushes against her lips, the pearl nestling against her cheek and the white satin slipping over her knee.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

A Lady at a Spinning-wheel

Date

1665

Medium

Oil on oak

Measurements

H 22.5 x W 17.7 cm

Accession number

NG845

Acquisition method

Bought, 1871

Work type

Painting

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The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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