At first glance, van Leyden’s famous engraving The Milkmaid looks like a realistic depiction of the countryside in the Netherlands in the 16th century. Even though the cows make up the centre of the composition, the milkmaid is the main character. Van Leyden created several prints on the theme of relationships, among them The Milkmaid.
Van Leyden’s work is often characterised as having narrative and entertaining qualities. The Dutch word “melken”, to milk, also had the popular meaning to attract, or to tempt. For 16th century viewers, the image was probably interpreted as a reference to courtship, a message which is not as evident to the public today.