In the painting “Christmas Morning,” a humble Austrian family gathers together while the children discover their modest presents. In Austrian tradition, children put their shoes on the windowsill in hopes that St. Nicholas will leave them simple gifts if they’ve been good. A realist painter, Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller shows us an intimate family scene.
Waldmüller (1793–1865), was one of the most influential Austrian painters of the 19th-century Biedermeier style. The Biedermeier style emerged in Central Europe between 1815 and 1848 to cater to the growing middle class; artists depicted common people, and themes of harmony and piety.
Waldmüller learned artistic traditions by studying the old masters and achieved acclaim for his landscapes and scenes of rural life.
In “Christmas Morning,” the austere setting, the clothing, and the scrawny Christmas tree with a few homemade ornaments show that these are common folk. The grandmother is in the center of the painting. Three of the children come close to her, eager to show her their gifts and share their delight in their little treasures.
The gifts are simple pieces of fruit as well as ribbons for two of the girls. The boy on the left holds an empty shoe and hangs his head, with an unhappy expression on his face. Perhaps Santa passed him by because he was naughty. Two of the girls look toward their sister who is about to retrieve her shoe, curious to see what she may find.
To the right of the grandmother, the mother looks on wistfully. Is she saddened by the fact that she cannot provide more for her children? Perhaps she’s worried about her son who didn’t receive a gift. Her husband seems to be trying to explain away her concerns.
All the adults show their love for the children. In our modern age, with its material abundance, we can also feel gratitude for the most precious gifts—the simple things in life, family bonds and, of course, the children.
