The Working Mother
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 14 7/16 × 9 15/16 in. (36.7 × 25.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1953
Accession Number
53.600.527
Tags
Art Historical Context
**The Working Mother** (1740) is a delicate engraving after a painting by Jean Siméonardin, the celebrated French Rococo master known for his intimate portrayals of everyday life. by engravers Bernard Lepicié Louis Surugue, published by Chez L'A, this print captures a tender domestic scene: a mother and young girl engaged in needlework within a cozy interior, accompanied by a loyal dog. Chardin's subtle realism—marked by soft lighting, textured fabrics, and quiet emotion—elevates ordinary moments into poetic vignettes, reflecting 18th-century bourgeois values of family and diligence. Engravin...
About the Artist
Chez L'Auteur|Jean Siméon Chardin|Bernard Lepicié|Louis Surugue (French|French|French|French) · |1699 |1686 |1698 – |1779 |1762 |1755
|French, Paris 1699–1779 Paris|French, Paris ca. 1686–1762 Grand Vaux|French, Paris 1698–1755 Paris