Breakfast 1640 - 1654

Karel Slabbaert’s painting, Breakfast, likely completed in the 1640s, offers a glimpse into the domestic life of a Dutch family during the Golden Age. The scene depicts a mother attending to her children, one with hands clasped in prayer, a demonstration of piety valued during this period. But consider also the context of Dutch prosperity fueled by global trade and colonization; this family's comfort is built on the exploitation of others. The painting invites us to reflect on the values and social structures that underpin daily life. How do the rituals of family life reflect broader cultural norms and power dynamics? The scene is intimate, yet it also speaks to the complex relationships between domesticity, morality, and economic power. It is a quiet moment, that holds within it the tensions and contradictions of its time.