Domestic family scene in lamplight, 1600

About the Work

The small-scale pen drawing describes peaceful togetherness. The artist has quite vividly captured the various activities the women are pursuing by the light of an oil lamp as the cat slumbers in its basket. Our attention is drawn to details such as the threading of a needle that demands the full concentration of the older woman at the left. Francesco Vanni worked in Siena throughout his career and was among the renowned artists of his time in that city.