Vermeer's painting "The Milkmaid" depicts a young woman milking cows in a modest kitchen setting. Painted in 1658, it uses meticulous detail and contrasting light to create an illusion of both monumentality and calm. The artist Johannes Vermeer lived in Delft and struggled financially as he spent significant time and effort on each painting, which were mostly domestic interior scenes. He is renowned for his mastery of light and use of geometry in works like "The Milkmaid" and "Girl with a Pearl Earring".