The family in this image look exhausted but unified. As Robert went through his own illness, he understood how family played a crucial role as a support network for patients. The theme of “generations” or “the three ages of man” found in paintings of the Romantic era, is a new approach for Robert, who is able to take a personal experience and illustrate it through his observations of other people. The woman in the middle is probably the patient, still leaned on for support and intimately trusted by the young child who has fallen asleep from waiting so long. The woman with the long hair on the end hooks her arm around the middle woman’s arm as a sign of solidarity. The waiting room is dark and outfitted with hard metallic furniture and a clock; this clinical austerity contrasts with the warmth of the family bond.