Interestingly, it seems Maes used exactly the same pillow in his painting of the Old Lacemaker in the Mauritshaus Museum. https://www.mauritshuis.nl/en/explore/the-collection/artworks/the-old-lacemak er-1101/# Perhaps it was a family possession? The pillow is the same even to the hanging scissors. But, the Old Lacemaker appears to be using a stand, whereas the Met's lacemaker clearly is not. Also, interesting, the Old Lacemaker is wearing glasses!
There is another Maes painting in the National Gallery of Canada that looks like it may rely on the same pillow, this time used on a table. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nicolaes_Maes,_Lacemaker.JPG Also in the Fine Arts Museum in Belgium there is a similar pillow in painting by Maes of a Dozing Old Woman. https://www.fine-arts-museum.be/nl/de-collectie/nicolaes-maes-ingedutte-oude- vrouw?artist=maes-nicolaes-1 In the Guildhall Gallery in London there is another Maes, of a Woman Sewing. She appears to have the same lace pillow but from another angle. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nicolaes_Maes,_Young_Woman_Sewing,_16 55.jpg Also there is a painting in the Kunsthistorische Museum âattributed to Gabriel Metsuâ that looks quite similar. https://www.khm.at/objektdb/detail/1215/ Devon >> - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/