Mother and Daughter in an Interior

German-born Jacob Maentel engaged in several professions during his lifetime: according to tradition, one being secretary to Napoleon, physician, and farmer and painter. He portrayed members of the tightly-knit German communities of Southeastern Pennsylvania and New Harmony, Indiana. He painted frank and detailed depictions of friends and family in full-length profile or frontal poses set in elaborate interiors or in landscapes.

This portrait follows the format established by Maentel in the 1820s for subjects portrayed in interior settings. The artist makes an interesting attempt at perspective by portraying the corner of an interior with the window and child on a separate plane. The stenciled chair and striped "Venetian" carpeting are typical conventions of Maentel's interiors.