Christ in the House of Martha and Mary

Pieter Aertsen (in 1553, 27 juli)

Ask anything

LEE asked

Hi.
Why did he produce this painting? Was it for sale? And Was the motif 'Martha and Mary' popular then?
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

Hi Lee, it is very possible that Aertsen made this painting for the free market, as the depiction of genre scenes and wealth grew in popularity in this period.
Best, Lisa
Madeline asked

Hi, do we know who commissioned this work?
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

Hello Madeline, unfortunately we don't know who commissioned this work. Greetings, Sarie
Hendrik van Haaster asked

What are the bunches of green stems on the left side?
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

Dear Hendrik, we think it could very well be leek, but we haven't researched this. On the subject of vegetables, we could however recommend this article by W. A. Brandenburg: https://books.google.nl/books?id=arVDAgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&redir_esc=y&hl=nl#v=onepage&q&f=false
Best, Rianne
Joanna and Douwe asked

Hello,
Which one is Maria and which one is Martha in the painting? We saw the painting and still are not sure.
Joanna and Douwe
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

Hi Joanna and Douwe, thanks for your question, we have an answer! Maria is sitting on the floor on a pillow, with folded hands, in front of Christ. Martha is standing to his left (our right). The woman on Christ's right (left for us) is the other Maria, the mother of Christ. Best, Friso Lammertse
Joyce asked

What is protruding from the chicken at the bottom of the painting and from the far leg of the chicken? Significance?
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

Hi Joyce, that are the intestines of the chicken. We do not know that this detail has a particular significance. But the food in the front does have a meaning; we have to look past it to see the religious scene. In other words material goods should not distract us from the religious message - kind regards, Sophie
Roos asked

Het lijkt net een foto
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

Dag Roos, wat leuk dat je het op een foto vindt lijken! Waarom vind je dat precies?

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More information

Read aloud

A kitchen scene combined with a religious subject is set within Renaissance architecture. The background depicts the story of Christ in the house of Martha and Mary. This painting marks the transition from the late mediaeval practice of depicting religious subjects to a new era, in which art depicts the everyday life of the self confident bourgeoisie.

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Specifications

Title	Christ in the House of Martha and Mary
Material and technique	Oil on panel
Object type	Painting > Painting > Two-dimensional object > Art object
Location	This object is in storage

Dimensions	Width 200 cm Height 126 cm
Artists	Painter: Pieter Aertsen
Accession number	1108 (OK)
Credits	Acquired with the collection of D.G. Van Beuningen, 1958
Department	Old Masters
Acquisition date	1958
Creation date	in 1553, 27 juli
Collector	Collector / D.G. van Beuningen
Internal exhibitions	Van Eyck tot Bruegel (1994) The Collection Enriched (2011) De collectie als tijdmachine (2017)
External exhibitions	Nederlandsche Kunst van de XVde en XVIde eeuw (1945) Slow food (2017)
Research	Show research Alma
Material	Oil > Paint > Artist's material > Material > Material and technique Panel > Worked wood > Wood > Vegetable material > Organic material > Material > Material and technique
Object	Painting > Painting > Two-dimensional object > Art object
Geographical origin	Northern Netherlands > The Netherlands > Western Europe > Europe
Geographical origin	Southern Netherlands > The Netherlands > Western Europe > Europe