Who painted Visit to a New Mother?

Visit to a New Mother was painted by Moritz Calisch in 1835-01-01.

Where can I see Visit to a New Mother?

Visit to a New Mother is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is Visit to a New Mother?

Visit to a New Mother is associated with Realism.

Can I buy a print of Visit to a New Mother?

Museum-quality prints of Visit to a New Mother are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Visit to a New Mother

Moritz Calisch , 1835

Visit to a New Mother is an oil painting by the Realist artist Moritz Calisch. It dates from 1835 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

Through these elements, the work represents and celebrates the conventional social rituals and quiet familial bonds surrounding early motherhood.

Moritz Calisch’s 1835 genre painting portrays an intimate domestic scene centered on a visit to a newly delivered mother. The composition includes a man, a woman, the mother, and an infant, capturing a social call within a middle-class interior. Iconographic details reinforce the domestic setting and the maternal theme: the infant rests in a bassinet, while a footstool and a basket signify the comforts and daily chores of household life.

A dog, often symbolizing loyalty and domestic fidelity, accompanies the figures, and a wall clock emphasizes the passage of time and the structured routines of the home. Through these elements, the work represents and celebrates the conventional social rituals and quiet familial bonds surrounding early motherhood.

Technique & Style

Moritz Calisch's 1835 genre scene Visit to a New Mother is executed in oil paint on a canvas support and measures 56.5 by 66 centimeters. Stylistically, the work aligns with the genre tradition, featuring a detailed middle-class interior populated by a man, a woman, the mother, and an infant, along with a dog, a bassinet, a wall clock, a footstool, and a basket. The composition focuses on a domestic narrative, using the oil medium to render the various figures and interior elements characteristic of the genre.

History & Provenance

Moritz Calisch created Visit to a New Mother in 1835, executing it in oil on canvas. The work was owned by Adriaan van der Hoop as part of his collection before passing into public hands; it is now held jointly by the Rijksmuseum and the Amsterdam Museum. No specific inventory or accession number is documented in the available sources, nor is any exhibition history recorded.

Overview

Moritz Calisch, a 19th-century painter from Amsterdam, completed Visit to a New Mother in 1835. This oil painting is a notable example of the Realism movement, capturing an intimate domestic scene. The artwork is part of the permanent collection at the Rijksmuseum, where it offers a glimpse into the social and private life of its era through its detailed portrayal of a family gathering.