© National Galleries of Scotland
An Old Woman Cooking Eggs
Artist: Diego Velazquez (1599 - 1660)
Location: National Gallery of Scotland
Date: 1618
Materials: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 100.5 x 119.5cm
Grant:
Amount Paid: £5,000 (Total: £57,000)
Vendor: Sir Francis Cook and the Trustees of Cook Collection
Review number: 1772 (1955)
Provenance:
Wolletts sale 1813 (imported by Le Brun and bought by Peach); Smith of Bond Street, a Yorkshire collector; 1863 JC Robinson for Francis Cook.
Description:
In this work an old woman sits holding a spoon over the eggs broken into a bowl. A young boy watches, holding a flask of wine and a melon. Their actions are frozen, the two do not communicate, their gazes never meeting. Instead, the momentous encounters in this picture all occur in the realm of illusionism - in the light reflected from a pestle and mortar, the stains of an earthenware jug, the uniqueness of an onion or chili, or the ear of the old woman, conjured forth from under the folds of her headscarf. This kitchen scene or bodegon was painted from life models that appear as motionless as the objects. The painting belongs to Velasquez's earlier group of works, often genre scenes featuring figures and still-lifes and is part of a series of tavern and kitchen scenes painted in Seville prior to 1623.
There is one comment on this artwork
This painting- "An Old Woman Cooking Eggs" by, Diego Velasquez is a remarkable work of art. I love the striking color contrasts as well as the dynamic features that are portrayed in the characters. Also, I love the conspicuous eggs in the pot especially the bursting yellow color of the egg yolk. This painting is one of a kind!
2008-03-10 00:44:00
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