Erschöpfte Kraft

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Künstler*in Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller (1793 Wien – 1865 Hinterbrühl)

Object typeGemälde
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions
63 × 75 cm
SignatureSign. und dat. unten links: Waldmüller 1854
Inventory number3656
Locations Belvedere, Oberes Belvedere, 1. Obergeschoß (West), Raum SW2
A soft light falls on the sleeping child in its bed. The infant lies there like the baby Jesus in the manger. Only a few objects are illuminated: a sewing basket on the table and a white cloth. The rest of the furnishings are mere shadows in the gloom. A single ray of light falls on the woman, who lies on the floor after collapsing in exhaustion. It is a harrowing image for it reflects the situation of countless women and single mothers from poor backgrounds. Their daily labors continued at night, which Waldmüller shows here as keeping vigil at a sick child’s bedside.