PIETERSZ., Pieter
(b. 1540, Antwerpen, d. 1603, Amsterdam)

Man and Woman by the Spinning Wheel

c. 1570
Oil on panel, 76 x 64 cm
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

The young woman is seated in a chair beside a spinning-wheel, and holds a spindle in her left hand and a bobbin winder in her right. The elegantly clad young man beside her is trying to distract the woman from her work with drink. The power of this painting lies in its simplicity.