222 - Cornelis Bloemaert II — A Girl Lighting a Lantern, c. 1625

Cornelis Bloemaert II — A Girl Lighting a Lantern, c. 1625 Description: A young maid wearing a headscarf lights a candle inside a lantern with a burning taper. The concentrated light illuminates her face and hands against the dark background. The Dutch couplet below explains that she is preparing to fetch her master and is already lighting the candles. Beneath this everyday domestic scene lies a suggestive meaning: the reference to the master and his maid, together with the candle’s established erotic associations, hints at an intimate encounter. References: Hollstein Dutch 300; Roethlisberger CB5. Dimensions: 11,30 x 8,90 cm Condition: Very good impression on laid paper from the period, with the full plate border, with wide margins. Without visible watermark. Literature: Hollstein Dutch 300; Roethlisberger CB5. Medium: Engraving Date: 1625