William III Bromley, The Magpie’s Breakfast

William III Bromley, The Magpie’s BreakfastThis charming late 19th century oil painting by British artist William III Bromley (1816 1890) depicts a mother feeding a pet magpie while her daughters look on. It was shown at the Society of British Artists in 1882 and sold through Christies in 1883. Bromley was a celebrated painter of genre scenes. Captivated by their feathered friend, theyre transfixed on the cage as the magpie takes its morning meal. Its a relatable moment for a Victorian viewer

it’s clear that

His buyers were generally the rising middle classes in the North who sought to adorn their walls with thoroughly British decorative works

He was a founding member of the Royal Academy

The painting is housed within a beautiful period frame with foliate decoration and swept corners

In a similar piece

Therkild Nielsen

coupled with the presence of roses

The painting is signed in the top right and housed within its original frame

as if we could reach down into the bowl and steal away one of those succulent apples

cascades down to old stone

In recent years

he volunteered to work at a hospital in Rome during an outbreak of the plague