The Family Dinner
Artist: Maitre des Jeux (Master of the Games) (Active mid-1600s)
Artist: formerly attributed to Mathieu Le Nain (French, 1607-1677)
Date: about 1645-1648
Dimensions:
H: 32 1/2 in. (82.6 cm); W: 43 in. (109.2 cm)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number: 1946.28
Label Text:This family portrait captures a scene of daily life in a French middle class household. The servants, at either end of the table, are included, as is the family dog. The man and woman on the far side of the table gesture to the frugal meal of ham and bread, served on plain pewter plates, indicating their piously modest lifestyle.
Little is known about the “Master of the Games,” not even his name (his pseudonym comes from his paintings of card players). His paintings are close in style to the Le Nain brothers, three Parisian artists known for their scenes of peasants and of everyday life. The middle class subject, the cool, muted colors and the strong contrasts of light and dark in this painting were evidently influenced not only by the Le Nains, but also by Dutch artists of the same period (see Galleries 23 and 24).
Little is known about the “Master of the Games,” not even his name (his pseudonym comes from his paintings of card players). His paintings are close in style to the Le Nain brothers, three Parisian artists known for their scenes of peasants and of everyday life. The middle class subject, the cool, muted colors and the strong contrasts of light and dark in this painting were evidently influenced not only by the Le Nains, but also by Dutch artists of the same period (see Galleries 23 and 24).
On view
In Collection(s)