Old Woman Saying Grace, Known as ‘The Prayer without End’

Also titled Oude vrouw in gebed, bekend als ‘Het gebed zonder end’

Nicolaes Maes (Dordrecht, 1634–1693)

c. 1656

Medium
canvas, oil paint (paint)
Classification
painting
Dimensions
height 134 cm x width 113 cm
Museum
Rijksmuseum
Credit line
On loan from the City of Amsterdam
Rights
Public Domain Mark, as the museum states it.
Who can see it
Tweens profiles and older: its subjects are known and suit older children. How works are placed

View at the Rijksmuseum

About this work

An old woman prays devoutly before eating her meal. She does not let the begging cat tugging impatiently on the tablecloth distract her. The virtue of the old woman lies in her self-control and sense of duty to God. Just like his teacher Rembrandt, Maes focuses attention on the essence of the scene through restricted lighting.