•D2566. Pair of Polychrome Figures of a Milkmaid and Youth

Delft, circa 1760

A female milk carrier standing on a yellow square base with her manganese clogs, wearing a green robe with a blue apron and a yellow jacket over a blue shirt, leaving her breast uncovered, a yellow yoke rests on her neck and shoulders, supporting two white buckets on either side, and a manganese-colored hat sits atop her head, her male companion stands on a green square base with cut-off edges, wearing yellow clogs, green trousers, and a blue jacket, an iron-red scarf is wrapped around his neck, and a yellow yoke rests on his shoulders, carrying two white buckets, his manganese-colored hair is partially covered by a hat of the same hue.

DIMENSIONS
Height milkmaid: 15 cm. (5.9 in.);
Height youth: 14.5 cm.(5.7 in.)

NOTE
This pair of figures is likely inspired by the depiction of milkmaids commonly seen on seventeenth-century majolica plates and tiles. The milkmaid motif was a popular decorative theme during this period, appearing on both flatware and tiles. These items were often produced in the same workshops until around 1650, at which point the production of pottery and tiles became more specialized, leading to greater differentiation between these forms.

The female figurine originates from a 1601 woodcut published in Dracht-Thoneel by Zacharias Heys in Amsterdam. The earliest known source for Heys’s illustration dates back even further, to 1562, demonstrating the enduring influence of traditional Dutch costume imagery in decorative arts.

This figurine represents the Waterlandsche Boerin (a female farmer from the Dutch region of Waterland). Her distinctive clothing style is described in an old Dutch poem accompanying the original woodcut:

“In Waterlandt gaet de boerin gecleedt
Op dees manier gehorent cort van kleeren
De winter Cout noch oock den somer heet
En kan haer niet van haer gewoonte keeren.”

(In Waterland, the farmer’s wife is dressed
In this way, accustomed to short garments,
Neither the winter cold nor the summer heat
Can make her abandon her habit.)

It is unlikely that the Delftware modeler had direct access to the original woodcut. However, its imagery had been widely reproduced over the years, particularly as decoration on majolica dishes (see below) and tiles, making it more accessible to Delftware artisans. This likely led to adaptations in both her posture (houding) and the colors of her clothing, reflecting stylistic and practical choices made in Delft pottery workshops.

The male figurine, which appears as a counterpart to the Waterlandsche Boerin, was likely inspired by a similar source, though its exact artistic reference remains unidentified. Further research into contemporary prints and majolica designs may yield insights into the origins of this companion figure.

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