A girl is brought by an old woman to visit her former foster-mother and wet nurse in a cottage. Engraved by E. Mohn after M. Ritscher.

Described in The art journal (loc. cit.) as follows: "To various examples of German genre painting which have appeared somewhat recently in our publication we now add another, and by no means one inferior as a composition or in interest to any that have preceded it. To English eyes such a scene as this seems perfectly familiar, and it might be taken for a visit paid to a cottager in our own country, were it not for some peculiarities of costume, cottage furniture, domestic utensils, &c., which bespeak its foreign origin. The attitude and expression of the little girl who has been brought to see her early nurse are quite true to childhood; she has evidently lost all recollection of her foster-mother, who, with her lap filled with the vegetables she is preparing for dinner, holds forth a hand to give the young visitor a welcome : the latter, however, either too bashful, or too mindful of what is due to her clean white frock and the other accompaniments of being fitted out for the occasion, draws back, half refusing to accept the hand. The old woman, whom we may assume to be now the nurse or attendant of the little lady, gives an encouraging push with the hand to urge her to do what it is her duty to do. These three figures are, both collectively and individually, good in design and drawing, while an interesting addition to the group is the bare-legged boy in front, who, habited as if he were a juvenile blacksmith, leaves off whipping his wooden horse to examine the new arrivals, the younger of whom is most probably his foster-sister and his playmate of former days. This painter belonged to the Dresden school, and studied under the special guidance of Professor Bendemann, with whom he executed very excellent portraits, ideal heads, and historical subjects. On leaving his master, Ritscher directed his attention to genre pictures, the last he ever painted being that here engraved, which was purchased by the authorities of the Dresden Gallery, where it is now placed. The artist, unfortunately, died about two or three years ago, in the prime of life."

There is a contrast between the child, dressed in expensive clean white clothes, and the foster mother, dressed in peasant costume with a basket of root vegetables on her lap

[London] : [Virtue & Co Limited], [1878]

1 print : engraving ; image 19 x 22.4 cm

The visit of the foster child. Moritz Ritscher 1874 Dresden. M. Ritscher pinxt. E. Mohn sculpt.

Wellcome Collection 27720i