A Doughnut Maker by Candlelight, 1815 (oil on panel)

Eene Oliekoekenbakster bij Kaarslicht. After nightfall, by the illumination of a large lantern, a doughnut-maker surrounded by a group of five children is hard at work. Sheltered under a ragged tarp, an old woman seated on a wooden chair grasps in her left hand an oil-filled skillet set on a trivet while her right hand stokes the flames below. Next to the frying pan is a large bowl of batter. In the right foreground, a young boy peers longingly at the baker with his left hand stuck in what must be an empty pocket. To his right, prudence versus temptation, a small girl stands in contemplation of a coin held in her open palm. In the centre background, much to the chagrin of his companions, a boy eagerly bites into his doughnut. Known at the time as olie-koeken, they were balls of dough that were deep-fried and were the forerunners of the modern doughnut.