April 27, 2007
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Dutch Baroque
Interior with a Mother Attending her Children, 1728
Willem van Mieris
Dutch Baroque Era PainterYou know what I like about this painting?1. The sharp contrast between light and dark. I’ve been reading about this characteristic of late medieval times.
2. The shoe that is off and the foot raised on the box. Do those shoes look comfortable to you?
3. The general untidyness of the room. This place looks lived in.
4. The comfort of the dog sleeping.
Questions:
1. How old is the child in the cradle? It strikes me that he is about 41/2.
2. What is particular about this child? He is the focal point of the painting. The light and the lines are oriented towards him.
3. What is the back story? There seems to be a considerable age difference between the older boy and the younger? Has the mother lost other children in between?
I wish I could see the plates that are on the shelf. I bet they are Delft. I’m certain they are beautiful.
Comments (7)
I tried to find an *A* for April artist, but settled on one that had an April birthday.
So, what’s the closest museum for you? There are several exhibits which I want to see at ours: Annie Liebowitz and more Louvre stuff…..
Have a nice weekend.
Dana in GA
I think the child is younger than 4.5….say 2 y o max!
I looked at the mother first….then allowed my eye to travel down her arm…..
Not convinced that the other person at the table is a boy…off to investigate.
Dana
I think it’s because of the cradle. I’m just not used to seeing other than newborns in cradles. But the baby does seem…uh, chubby, no?
You know as I typed “older boy” I honestly thought: Oh yeah, Dana has better eyesight than I and will come up with a different explanation!! But I decided to be brave and write “older boy”
Let me know what you think!
I agree with Dana, the child in the cradle must be only 2… And yet, I disagree with Dana about the sex of the older child..most likely a boy. Interesting thought about the space b/n the children, Carol. Perhaps that’s why the focus is on the baby….the mom is obviously adoring. Perhaps with death of children in between, this one seems all the more special. I love the untidyness…makes it seem all the more real, rather than staged. But I find the mother a bit disproportionate…a very large lower half. was that on purpose to emphasis her feminine shape?
good picture, Carol
Carol, consider the chubby face of the older child, and even the mom. Perhaps those beautiful cheeks are genetic? I still hold with “boy” on the older one. Check out his clothing. What do you think? And he seems VERY interested in the food on the table…a typical boy thing
I think the heftiness of the mother’s thighs/legs is indicative of a male model…..
And I never found anything definitive about the sex of the other child.
Just finished a 70 min evening walk. Now time for pizza and a movie
I think the baby is two also…
The woman is wearing mules.
And I love that!