This charming early 20th-century German oil painting depicts a splendid dining room with table, chairs, and piano.

Given the intimate nature of this splendid piece, it seems plausible that it’s the artist’s own home. Is this the family dining table? Could that be a portrait of an ancestor? Did they play the piano?

The artist is unknown, which seems unusual given the competent brushwork. Note the handling of light, which floods the room from two directions. And the challenging perspective with its complex angles. The furniture is also rendered particularly well.

The painting is signed M Schaarwachter in the lower left, which doesn’t correspond to any known artist. The only directory reference we can find for this surname relates to the photographer Julius Cornelius Schaarwachter (1847-1904).

Held in a period frame.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 24½” x 29” / 62cm x 74cm
Year of creation:  1919
Provenance: Private collection, Germany.
Condition: Artwork presents well. Frame with some light wear.