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The image depicts a dimly lit scene in a room. On the left side, there is a person lying on the floor, appearing flat and possibly in a sleeping or unconscious position. On the right side, a child is seen sleeping in a bed or a cot. The room is sparsely illuminated, and a table with an object on it is visible in the background. There are also some fabrics and possibly clothing in the room.

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Oberes Belvedere
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Exhausted Strength
Die tote Mutter
Date1854

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

ULAN

Object typePainting
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions
63 × 75 cm
SignatureSign. und dat. unten links: Waldmüller 1854
Inventory number3656
Locations Belvedere, Upper Belvedere, 1. Floor (west), Room 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.

Provenance
Exhibitions

1865 Nachlass Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller.
1868 P. Kaeser.
1924 Stavoner, Wien (?).
1931 Auktionshaus Albert Kende, Wien
1939 Ankauf Fritz Wejrowsky, Wien

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Exhibitions of the Belvedere