The Winder and the Spinner

Jacques Callot

National Gallery of Art

The image features two women seated facing each other, engaging in a spinning activity. Both women are visible in full, with their bodies turned slightly inward towards the spinning apparatus. The woman on the left is seated on a low bench or stool, with her hair styled in a simple fashion, pulled back and covered. She wears a long-sleeved dress that reaches her ankles. A small, curled animal is positioned at her feet. Her hands are holding a thread connected to a yarn swift. The woman on the right is seated on a wooden chair, with a straight posture and dressed in a full-length gown. Her hair is covered, styled modestly. She holds a distaff filled with raw fiber. The background is bare, emphasizing the figures and their activity, with modest furnishings and floorboards visible. The artist's signature, "J. Callot in. f.", is inscribed at the bottom.