English: An older woman is seated on a wooden chair in a sober interior, her head leaning against a large, white pillow propped up against a tall fireplace. The pillow, the woman’s half-open eyes and slightly raised eyebrows do suggest that she is unwell. A cat and a small dog curled up in front of the hearth comfortably enjoy the warmth emitted by its smoldering flames. To the right of the brown-and-tan tiled fireplace hangs a shovel suspended from a hook, and on the floor nearby are tongs, a dark terra cotta pot, and a foot warmer. Resting on the wooden hood of the fireplace are simple, white, earthenware plates decorated with delicate blue designs, two brass candlesticks, and a single orange. Suspended from hooks attached to the bottom of the wooden hood, from which also hangs a dark cloth skirting, is a small ornamental candleholder, symmetrically flanked by metal vessels. The empty chair on the right reinforces the quiet, solitary character of this woman’s life.
The scene in the pendant painting in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, is situated in a similar room with an identical fireplace. Dated 1654, it is Vrel’s earliest extant dated work. (Ilona Van Tuinen)