The Milkmaid of Bordeaux Francisco Jose De Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828)

Description of Francisco de Goya’s painting "The Milkmaid of Bordeaux"

This painting has been called by many the first manifestation of Impressionism in painting. Light strokes line the image of a beautiful seated girl, which amazes art lovers with its strangeness. Thus, instead of almost photographic clarity and focus on meaning, came the lightness and immediacy of Impressionist images. The artist decided to deviate from the classical manner of painting, which led to the creation of an entire direction of painting.

In the center of the picture there is a beautiful young girl with her head slightly tilted. Her face is depicted not too clearly, but a slight smile and large beautiful eyes give a character to the protagonist. Despite the girl’s smile, the work evokes a slight melancholy and anxiety. Some art historians perceive this painting differently, as if the artist has conveyed a bright and cheerful image of the young milkmaid. However, it is better to perceive the work ambivalently: the simple image symbolizes both light melancholy and hope at the same time.

The milkmaid’s darkened figure is enveloped in carefully rendered natural light. It becomes obvious that the painting was created in an open space. While sunlight dominates on the left side, the sky on the right looks more disturbing. In the lower left corner you can see the silhouette of a jug, created with a few light strokes. This element alludes to the personality of the protagonist. The woman’s dark hair, slightly glistening in the light, is concealed in a cape, and her shoulders are covered with a light fabric like a shawl. Dressed not too luxuriously, the heroine is still admired, so the artist has conveyed the splendor and beauty of the girl, who does not belong to the highest class.