Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller

Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller is a master of depicting intimate scenes taking place in family homes. In the featured painting a mother is sewing, while her four children are gathered around her. The smallest child is sitting on the floor - an apple in its hand - a young girl is resting an arm on her mother’s lap, watching her smaller sibling. A boy and a girl are standing behind the mother’s chair, looking as if they are planning to startle their little sibling. A woman is seen in the background doing household chores, perhaps washing dishes. Light plays an important role in this painting. It illuminates the scene, coming from a window or door outside the frame on the left. Light reflexes are shown on the standing girl’s blonde hair, as well as the toddler on the floor, whose face is shining brightly against the dark, shadowy background. Although the painting is very strictly composed, the lighting is naturalistic. The two older siblings are emerging from the dark background, the woman managing the household is only slightly illuminated, hardly visible in the other room. This also removes her from the central scene. The composition focuses on the mother, who is positioned in the center of the painting, but also the small child sitting on the floor, who receives focus, via all other figures looking at it. Seamlessly the mother manages to watch her children and her sewing simultaneously. Being surrounded by four children does not stress her out or cause her any irritation, she seems happy and content. The artist shows us an idealization of a mother who takes care of her children happily and manages to mend clothes without being overwhelmed by the tasks. The scene radiates calmness and peace. Waldmüller invites the viewer to imagine themselves as a visitor or other family member, sitting on the other side of the room, watching the scene.