This exquisite late 19th-century oil painting by German artist Adelaïde Salles-Wagner (1825-1890) depicts a mother feeding her baby with a silver spoon. Salles-Wagner is known predominantly for her time in France, and she exhibited extensively in Paris.
Few artists of the 19th century portrayed women and children with greater tenderness than Adelaïde Salles-Wagner. Here, she's transformed one of the most familiar moments of domestic life into something quietly profound. A young mother cradles her infant across her lap as she patiently offers a spoonful of food, her attention fixed entirely upon the child. It's an everyday scene, yet one observed with great care.
Rather than facing the viewer, the mother turns gently in profile, allowing us to witness the moment almost unnoticed. Sunlight falls softly across her face, illuminating the thoughtful concentration in her expression while leaving the surrounding garden in gentle shadow. The child, comfortably nestled against her, reaches instinctively towards the spoon, secure in the knowledge that it's held by the person he trusts most.
Salles-Wagner evidently understands the deep bond between a mother and her child. Note the way the mother supports the child's weight, the natural curve of her arm, the relaxed posture of the infant and the subtle inclination of her head. These are movements that feel lived and cherished.
Capturing gentle, understated moments became one of Salles-Wagner's greatest strengths. Although she enjoyed success painting portraits, religious subjects and literary scenes for the Paris Salon, she repeatedly returned to depictions of women and children. These intimate compositions reveal an artist who understood that the deepest emotional truths are often found in the quiet rituals of everyday life.
Today, Mealtime remains as touching as when it was first painted. It's a celebration of care itself - the gentle routines that quietly shape a family.
Signed in the lower left and held in an impressive 19th-century carved and gilded exhibition frame enriched with deeply modelled foliate ornament and beaded mouldings. The painting bears a partial exhibition label.
Learn more about Adelaïde Salles-Wagner in our directory.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 34” x 38” / 87cm x 97cm
Year of creation: c. 1875
Labels & Inscriptions: Partial exhibition label.
Provenance: Private collection, France.
Condition: Cleaned. Revarnished. Areas of fine and settled craquelure, as you would expect. The paint layer is stable. Historic restoration, including patched repairs. Frame in good condition with minor age-related wear. The frame is particularly heavy.
Artist’s auction maximum: £7,442 achieved in 2007 for ‘Portrait de Jeune Femme au Châle de Dentelle’.
Our reference: BRV2350
