Description
This small and exquisite 19th-century oil on cardboard titled “Reading to Mother” by Johann Georg Meyer von Bremen depicts a gentle interior scene with a young boy attentively reading to a woman, presumably his mother. They sit at a small table; the woman rests in a chair with a large pillow, her gaze distant. The painting is nested in a statement giltwood frame, signed “Meyer von Bremen” lower right. The frame is a neoclassical Louis XVI-style gilt frame with bellflower trim on the top edge, guilloche detailing on the back edge, ribbon trims, and a fluted cove.
Oil paintings on cardboard gained popularity in the late 19th century, offering a convenient and affordable alternative to canvas for artists and enabling greater artistic experimentation. Many renowned artists explored this medium. Artists often prepared oil on paper with a layer of primer or gesso to create a stable surface and prevent the oils from soaking directly into the paper.
Johann Georg Meyer von Bremen, commonly known as Meyer von Bremen (1813-1886), was a German genre painter specializing in Biblical, peasant, and family scenes. He was a pupil of the Düsseldorf Academy, where he largely painted religious and historical subjects. In 1840, after traveling in Bavaria and Switzerland, he began to develop pleasant genre scenes focused on incidents from popular life, especially among the Hessian peasantry, and the portrayal of childhood and family for which he became known. He spent the remainder of his career in Berlin, becoming a Professor at the Academy in 1863. He was also a member of the Amsterdam Academy and the Order of Leopold and received medals at exhibitions in Berlin and Philadelphia.
Meyer’s painterly sensibilities in this piece are remarkable. Note the diffused light from the window falling across the back wall, creating soft shadows on the figures. The glints of light travel across the meager furniture, highlighting the woman’s forgotten tea.
This painting masterfully showcases Meyer’s attention to rendering emotion, inviting the viewer into a tender moment between family members. This charming piece would be a lovely addition to a home, office, study, or library.
Paper Board only: H=3.75 in. W=5 in. With protective border: H=4.25 in. W=5.25 in.
Board with Frame: H=12.50 in. W=13.75 in. D=3 in. 7 lbs.
