A Family in the Stone Age

Like Benner's earlier Lakeside Dwelling, the painting depicts a scene from life in prehistoric times; here the artist shows three generations of a family of cave dwellers facing the threat of a bear. The family is composed of four people, the father, who is aiming at the bear with his bow and arrow, a mother, a child, and an old man, probably the child's grandfather. They are all dressed in a primitive way, covered in animal skins, and the child, who is crouching in the ground, is entirely naked. The woman has her breasts exposed and is holding a club. The old man is bald and bearded, and is kneeling, while he watches the scene.

The painting was donated to the museum by the artist's family, including his nephew, painter Many Benner.^[1]