Amsterdam55 The Kitchen Maid Johannes Vermeer oil on canvas, 1658 Intent on her task, the kitchen maid pours milk from a pitcher. The composition radiates a quiet calm, the only movement is the flow of milk into the bowl. Taking an everyday scene and a simple composition, Vermeer created a powerful painting. His work is distinctive in the portrayal of light. Here he uses tiny dots to represent reflections as in the bread rolls and the blue cloth.