The Account Keeper, Nicolaes Maes (1656)
A woman dozes off as she updates her account books. Carefully defined horizontals (the desktop and wainscoting) contrast with verticals (the cabinet door, the pillars adorning the desk front), to create a carefully structured composition. The paired inkwells on the table echo the spheres on the map, and the bowls on the shelf are seen in both profile and full-interior views, all suggesting deliberate planning rather than casual observation. Such conscious order is in risk of collapse since the ledgers seem on the verge of toppling to the floor. The painting was undoubtedly intended to invite reflection, although we don’t know whether this woman represents a widow struggling to make ends meet, an elderly woman evaluating her life, or the sin of sloth.
