OTTO KARL KIRBERG (GERMAN, 1850–1926) Cleaning the Pewter Oil on canvas, signed lower left 26 x 21 1/4 in. (66 x 54 cm); frame: 37 x 31 1/2 in. (94 x 80 cm)
In this tender domestic scene, a woman and young girl polish pewter and copper wares in a Dutch interior adorned with Delft tiles. German painter Otto Kirberg was known for his genre scenes that captured the warmth and intimacy of everyday life. Here, he pays careful attention to texture and detail—from the glint of metal to the gleam of polished tile—evoking a quiet narrative of care, tradition, and familial connection.
