Methodologies of Art

The painting Interior with a Dordrecht Family (1656)  by the Dutch painter Nikolaes Maes (1634-1693) from the Norton Simon Museum with oil on canvas has an underlying meaning of femininity and gender roles. The painting is a family portrait and the father is relatively distant and isolated from his wife and children and his right hand is placed on his chest which symbolizes his marital commitment according to Maes. The father also has a strong stance and seems to be the breadwinner and decision maker of the family. On the other side of the painting, the mother is sitting down with her baby on her lap which can possibly interpreted as a sign of vulnerability and she is very close to her other two children which shows the unbreakable bond and nurturing relationship she shares with her young. Maes has also indirectly connected the mother to the other two children with the fruit basket and the older child’s hand reaching forward which creates the visual of a link. According to Maes, the basket of fruit refers to the children being the fruits of marriage. Despite the tight bond the painting portrays, the lack of emotional and physical connection of the father with the children in comparison with the mother is very noticeable. 

The strong maternal bond and the lack of direct affection from the father says a lot about women’s roles that time period and how they used to stay at home cleaning, cooking and taking care of their children. In this painting, the family and especially the mother is represented in a very stereotypical way. In the 1960’s, women were starting to enter the workplace and they were beginning to be respected more but they were still being degraded. In the painting, Maes portrays the typical family unit during the 1960’s, emphasizing on the male and female gender roles.