An artwork on Galleree from Cleveland Museum of Art.
About the artwork
The Dutton Family in the Drawing Room of Sherborne Park, Gloucestershirec. 1772
This type of picture, known as a conversation piece, was invented in England in the 1700s and popular for the informal way it represented families. A father and daughter, mother and son, are strategizing over the next hand in a game of cards. The family recently lost a loved one, so the parents are dressed in full mourning (black clothing), and the siblings in lesser mourning (mauve, white, and gray).
This is an idealized, not actual, room showing the sitters’ fashionable interior decorating aspirations.
oil on canvas
Unframed: 101.5 x 127 cm (39 15/16 x 50 in.); Framed: 124.5 x 149.9 x 7.6 cm (49 x 59 x 3 in.)
Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund
In the soft glow of the afternoon sun, a room exudes a tranquil yet heavy atmosphere. This intimate tableau, a snapshot of a family caught in a moment of quiet reflection, tells a story woven through with threads of sorrow and connection.
Emerging from the shadows of 18th century England, this artwork, known as a conversation piece, captures the informal essence of familial bonds. At its center, a father and daughter lean slightly over a table, their fingers poised gracefully over a deck of cards. They are engaged in an unspoken dialogue, strategizing their next moves as laughter mingles with the weight of their shared grief.
Around them, the mother stands close, her silhouette draped in rich black fabric—an emblem of mourning that speaks to their recent loss. She looks on with a mixture of resolve and sadness. At the same time, a son, dressed in softer tones of mauve, white, and gray, embodies a gentler shade of bereavement. Each family member’s clothing not only marks their sorrow but also highlights their bond—a visual language accepted intimately within the walls of their home.
In that moment, the game becomes more than just a pastime; it serves as a means of distraction, a way to preserve the threads of conversation and love amidst the silence left by a departed one. The room, though softly illuminated, bears the weight of loss, transforming the atmosphere into an intricate dance of light and shadow. It portrays a family striving to rebuild their world—a delicate balance between remembering and moving forward.
As the game unfolds, it becomes apparent that the act of playing cards is not merely a quest for victory; instead, it symbolizes resilience. Through the playful tension of strategy, the family finds themselves momentarily tethered to their past while simultaneously reaching out towards the future. And thus, this conversation piece resonates deeply, capturing the essence of human experience: navigating love and loss, unity and individuality, in the sacred space of familial bonds.
About the artist
Creating transformative experiences through art “for the benefit of all the people forever.”The Cleveland Museum of Art is renowned for the quality and breadth of its collection, which includes more than 66,500 artworks and spans 6,000 years of achievement in the arts. The artworks shared on this platform are sourced from the museum's Open Access data under the CC0 license. No endorsement is implied.Address: 11150 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH, USA 44106
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