Study for "Come Rest in this Bosom my own Stricken Dear"

Augustus Egg painted Study for "Come Rest in this Bosom my own Stricken Dear" in 1844, a work now held by the Cleveland Museum of Art. The painting depicts a tender, almost devotional scene of maternal care, reflecting Victorian themes of domestic virtue and emotional intensity. Its subject derives from a biblical passage rendered in contemporary language, suggesting an intimate engagement with spiritual comfort amid personal loss.

Scholars have noted Egg's role in the genre of moralizing narrative painting, positioning this study within broader Victorian artistic concerns about faith, family, and emotional resilience.

The piece is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection, accessioned in 2013 under the designation 2013.262, and remains displayed in its European paintings galleries.

Augustus Egg, a mid‑19th‑century British painter associated with the Clique, executed this preparatory work in 1844. Though unfinished, the study anticipates the larger composition titled “Come Rest in this Bosom my own Stricken Dear.” It exemplifies Egg’s early engagement with realist concerns, depicting a contemporary interior scene with a focus on personal emotion.

The canvas presents a solitary woman positioned beside a table in a dimly lit room. She clutches a small object to her chest and gazes upward, her expression solemn. The composition suggests a moment of private grief or contemplation, aligning with Egg’s interest in the moral and domestic dramas of Victorian life.