Maximilian Dasio (1865-1954) - Mother’s Justice

Maximilian Dasio (1865–1954)
Mother’s Justice, 1940
Oil on board
Hand signed
Germany

This small-scale genre painting presents a domestic scene of discipline treated with restrained humor and psychological observation. A mother stands firmly over her son, who lies awkwardly across a wooden chest, caught in a moment of reprimand rather than physical punishment. The narrative is immediately legible yet deliberately understated: Dasio avoids exaggeration, allowing posture and gesture to carry the moral tension.

The composition is tightly framed and balanced, emphasizing the contrast between the mother’s upright authority and the boy’s helpless, almost comic vulnerability. The muted interior palette—dominated by greys, warm browns, and softened whites—supports the intimate scale and reinforces the everyday character of the scene. Brushwork remains controlled and economical, consistent with Dasio’s late genre practice, prioritizing clarity over painterly display.

The work is executed on a wooden panel, typical of Dasio’s smaller interior scenes from the late 1930s and early 1940s. The reverse bears the artist’s name “M. Dasio (1865–1954)” and a dated inscription “12. Feb. 1940”, confirming both authorship and year of execution.

Mother’s Justice exemplifies Dasio’s ability to combine anecdotal subject matter with disciplined composition, situating the scene between moral observation and gentle irony—an approach that characterizes his mature work.