Genres of Paintings Painting Genres    

Lesson 29: Genre Art - The Idle Servant

by Nicolaes Maes

Directions

Study the artwork for one week.

Over the week:

• Examine the artwork.
• Read the synopsis.
• Study the vocabulary words.
• Recite the artist and artwork names.
• Read about the artwork's genre.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Discuss the review questions.

Synopsis

In Dutch artist Nicolaes Maes' 'The Idle Servant,' the mistress of the house smiles directly at the viewer as she gestures to an idle servant who has fallen asleep on the job. A pile of dishes, including ladles, pots, plates, and a strainer, lay akimbo across the checkered floor. Adding to the sense of chaos, cat grabs a fowl off a plate. Steps and a bannister lead up to a group sitting and conversing around the table.

Vocabulary

Idle: Avoiding work; lazy.
Servant: A person who performs duties for others, especially a person employed in a house on domestic duties or as a personal attendant.
Mistress: A woman in a position of authority or control.
Fowl: Any other domesticated bird kept for its eggs or flesh, e.g., the turkey, duck, goose, and Guinea fowl.
Conversing: Engaging in conversation.
Bannister: The structure formed by uprights and a handrail at the side of a staircase.

Concepts

1. Genre art paintings show common people going about their regular lives, including people shopping, dancing, eating, celebrating, working, traveling, and holding ceremonies such as weddings.
2. Use of the term 'genre' is pretty confusing in the art world, because 'genre' refers both to categories of art (portrait genre, space art genre, landscape genre, etc.) as well as this specific category of art (genre art genre).
3. Genre paintings are historically the third-most respected type of painting, after history and portrait paintings.
4. See below additional examples of genre art paintings: 1) Gustave Courbet's 'The Stone Breakers,' 2) Norman Rockwell's' 'Freedom of Worship,' and 3) Judith Leyster's 'A Game of Cards.'

Enrichment

Activity 1: Can You Find It?

Zoom in to find the following in the artwork:

• Mistress
• Servant
• Dishes
• Cat
• Fowl
• Someone Idle
• People Conversing
• Something Checkered
• Bannister

Activity 2: Narrate the Artwork

• After studying the artwork, narrate the scene shown aloud using your own words.

Activity 3: Color the Artwork   

• Click the crayon above and complete page 57 of 'Third Grade Art History Coloring Book.'

Review

Question 1

Who are the characters in the artwork?

1 / 5

Answer 1

The characters are the mistress and her family or guests and the idle servant.

1 / 5

Question 2

What is the setting of the artwork?

2 / 5

Answer 2

The setting is indoors, perhaps in a house.

2 / 5

Question 3

Is the mistress upset with the servant for falling asleep?

3 / 5

Answer 3

The mistress is more amused than upset by the servant falling asleep.

3 / 5

Question 4

Who has taken advantage of the servant falling asleep?

4 / 5

Answer 4

The cat has taken advantage of the servant falling asleep and has snatched up a fowl.

4 / 5

Question 5

Into which genre is this painting classified?

5 / 5

Answer 5

This painting falls into the genre art category.

5 / 5

❮ ❯

1. Who are the characters in the artwork? The characters are the mistress and her family or guests and the idle servant.
2. What is the setting of the artwork? The setting is indoors, perhaps in a house.
3. Is the mistress upset with the servant for falling asleep? The mistress is more amused than upset by the servant falling asleep.
4. Who has taken advantage of the servant falling asleep? The cat has taken advantage of the servant falling asleep and has snatched up a fowl.
5. Into which genre is this painting classified? This painting falls into the genre art category.

References

'Genre Art.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'Nicolaes Maes | The Idle Servant.' The National Gallery. nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/nicolaes-maes-the-idle-servant. n.p.