What you are looking at
A kitchen maid in a yellow bodice and blue apron pours a thin stream of milk into a bowl on a table covered with bread. Daylight falls from a window on the left and picks out the bread crust in tiny dots of light.
Why it is famous
It shows an ordinary task with the calm and seriousness of a religious painting, which is why it moves people so much. It is among the most loved works in the Rijksmuseum.
How big is The Milkmaid?
The Milkmaid measures 45.5 × 41 cm (17.9 × 16.1 in), without its frame. It is smaller than the Mona Lisa: about 44% of its area.
Compare it with other paintings
Where to see it
It hangs in the Rijksmuseum's Gallery of Honor area near The Night Watch.
Museums move and lend paintings. Check the museum's website before you travel to see one work. See all famous paintings in Amsterdam.
More by Johannes Vermeer
All Johannes Vermeer paintings
Also at the Rijksmuseum
Frequently asked questions
Who painted The Milkmaid?
Johannes Vermeer painted The Milkmaid in c. 1660.
Where is The Milkmaid?
The Milkmaid is in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
How big is The Milkmaid?
45.5 × 41 cm (17.9 × 16.1 in). It is smaller than the Mona Lisa: about 44% of its area.
What is The Milkmaid made with?
Oil on canvas.
Sources: Wikidata Q167605; Wikipedia, "The Milkmaid". Checked October 17, 2026. How we check.