A woman is making pancakes in the kitchen, a baby in a crib and a young child as her only companions. Genre scenes involving women doing housework like cooking or taking care of children were common in this period. The kitchen is brought up as a female-dominated space, while the outside world was seen as the domain of men. The pancakes themselves also hold meaning in Dutch culture as a festive treat, especially during Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras).