This small interior scene is believed to depict the artist, Alexander Carse, with his mother and sister. Gathered around a table, the two siblings listen while their mother reads from the large family bible. Around them, everything refers to Carse’s profession – from the paintings stacked against the mantelpiece to the plaster model on the cabinet and the wooden palette on the wall. During his time as a student at the Trustees’ Academy, Carse studied prints after Dutch art, and the influence of Dutch still lifes and genre paintings is evident. Each member of the family is depicted with realism and quiet humour. The small size of the painting only adds to the intimacy of the scene.