I was particularly struck, not just by the concentration in this young woman’s face and demeanour, but by the notes on The Met website (see link in Source in the caption below).
The painter Nicolaes Maes deliberately veered away from norms at the time to give his subject dignity and nobility. It feels to me that the warm colours he uses to encircle her are like a spiritual embrace. To me, this painting embodies the dignity and nobility in simplicity, and in the everyday.
I thought the haiku form would best symbolise that dignity and simplicity. More of my ekphrastic poetry here.
Apple Haiku
In a housemaid’s gaze,
the apple, peeled and quartered —
no evil, just good.
©elsp 2025
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