Woman Peeling an Apple

About this artwork

height 70 cm x width 57 cm

Art Historical Context

Cornelis Bisschop's *Woman Peeling an Apple (1667) is a delicate oil-on-panel painting measuring 70 cm high by 57 cm wide, capturing an intimate moment of everyday domesticity. Created during the Dutch Golden Age, this small-scale work exemplifies Bisschop's mastery of detailed genre scenes, influenced by the school of painters. The compact panel format—common in 17th-century Netherlands— for meticulous brushwork and luminous effects, inviting close contemplation by private collectors in prosperous Dutch homes. At its heart, the painting depicts a woman absorbed in peeling an apple, a motif rich with subtle symbolism. Apples often evoked themes of transience and abundance in Dutch art, reflecting the era's preoccupation with vanitas and the fleeting nature of life amid economic prosperity. Bisschop's precise rendering of textures—from the fruit's glossy skin to the woman's simple attire—highlights his skill in chiaroscuro, creating depth and realism on the modest wooden support. Housed in the Rijksmuseum, this gem offers a window into 17th-century leisure and quiet virtue, reminding visitors of the Dutch Golden Age's celebration of ordinary beauty. Its intimate scale makes it perfect for savoring the artist's quiet poetry of daily life.