(1658) The title is misleading, as it actually shows a house or kitchen maid, rather than a milkmaid working with cows. The painting's striking features include the tiny stream of milk being poured into a bowl and the intricate folds of the maid's blue dress. The table, which is covered with a blue cloth, is a Dutch gateleg, which has an octagonal shape when unfolded, explaining its odd angles. A foot warmer sits behind the central female figure; in Vermeer's time, the object would indicate that the woman is single.