Yes, Mother’s Day is on my mind, kinda obvious by this blog’s title yes?

There are many religious paintings of Madonna and Child but what about just your regular, average mother and child? I went cruising the internet to have a look and found many many paintings! Not surprisingly, Mary Cassatt popped up over and over. But there were others.

Once I settled on a few paintings, I went searching for information beyond just the artist’s name and the title of the painting. This proved to be challenging in most cases but as I feel it’s important to give for instance the size and location of the work, I persisted. If I couldn’t find much more info, the painting didn’t make the grade.  So without further ado, let’s celebrate our wonderful mothers by viewing these paintings. Here they are in chronological order.

 

 

This was the earliest example of a mother and child painting I came across in my quick search. No doubt there are earlier ones and if you know of any, I’d love to hear what they are. This is a consoling mother, soothing the child whose head is in her lap. What has happened? The dog looks out the door. Is the answer outside then? I like the way the artist has left the story to our imagination. Interestingly, Pieter de Hooch (1629-1684) was a contemporary and arch rival to Jan Vermeer (who had an even shorter life 1632-1675).

 

 

 

Although Bouguereau (1825-1905) was referred to in a derogatory way when I was taking my undergraduate degree (and certainly many of the female nudes he was known for have a slickness and sweetness that was the antithesis of the emerging work of the impressionists), I was delighted when I came across this painting. A lovely looking mother (who doesn’t seem to be idealized) holds the apple of experience as her young innocent child leans forward toward it, lips parted. The mother seems to be asking, Are you ready for this? The setting is so beautiful, water in front, trees and distant field and hills behind. Pretty fine painting if you ask me.

 

 

 

I love the feeling in this painting – can’t you just feel the breeze and the warmth of the sun, and the scrubby grass poking you through the blanket you are lying on? It looks like a mother with her two children out for a summer day on the dunes above the beach. William Merritt Chase (1849-1916) was one of the leading American Impressionists. Here’s a titbit of info – he established the Chase School which would later become the Parsons School of Design, one of the most prestigious colleges of art and design in the world. He was well known as an art teacher whose students included Charles Demuth, Georgia O’Keeffe and John Marin.

 

 

 

 

Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) is known for her numerous paintings depicting the intimate bond between mother and child. Her mothers are rarely idealized and they are often shown with their children in an ordinary domestic activity (as in the painting below). Other than the easy, natural pose of the child, what I love about this work is the physical painting itself. Look at the way the design on the dress is indicated on the far right and on the sleeve and bodice but check out the loose abstraction of the dress on the lower left. Cool huh? And look at the way the feet of the child flow into that abstraction.

 

 

Another favourite of mine, I am fascinated by the painting of the stripes on the mother’s dress and their effect as a design element. Here you can see the influence of Japanese prints that were a popular discovery at the time as well as of photography and the close-up crop.

 

 

 

This painting by Sargent (1856-1925) just kills me. This is a mother and her children but the children are barely in the picture! How did this composition come about? The children are blocked by the sofa and Mrs Meyer reaches out but it appears only as much to support herself as to touch the hand of her son. Is this Sargent making a comment on the relationship between mother and children? What do you think? As always, Sargent did an amazing job painting the sumptuous fabrics. Of all of the paintings I have included here, this is the only formal portrait. All the others capture a scene of spontaneity and naturalness.

 

 

 

I love the simplicity, intimacy, and power of this painting. It would be wonderful to see the real thing one day as it’s difficult to see the brush strokes in a photograph. And notice the size of this painting – its not small!! For a look at more of Sorolla’s work and a closer look at this painting, click on this link.

 

 

 

Even though I couldn’t find where this painting was located I just had to include it. I love the colour and quality of light Sorolla (1863-1923) captures here, as well as the child’s peekaboo pose. And look at the looseness of brushstroke! So much shown with so little, for instance look at the woman’s right hand (left side of painting) and the folds of the dress. The mother seems to be grimacing or are her eyes merely closed sleepily?

 

 

 

And lastly a piece by Picasso (1881-1973). Picasso did many paintings using the mother and child theme but this has been a favourite of mine for many years with its gentle tenderness. To see more mother and child paintings by Picasso, click here.

 

 

All these paintings talk about the love between a mother and her child (ren) and so, I wish my Mum a most happy Mother’s Day with much love and gratitude. And warm wishes to all the mothers out there.

 

I’ll leave you with a few quotes (because you know how I love quotes!).

 

Mothers and their children are in a category all their own. There’s no bond so strong in the entire world. No love so instantaneous and forgiving.

~ Gail Tsukiyama

 

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.

~ Tenneva Jordan

 

Grown don’t mean nothing to a mother. A child is a child. They get bigger, older, but grown? What’s that suppose to mean? In my heart it don’t mean a thing.

~ Toni Morrison

 

No matter how old a mother is, she watches her middle-aged children for signs of improvement.

~ Florida Scott-Maxwell

 

All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.

~ Abraham Lincoln

 

Please forward this blog on to all the mothers you know.

I’d love to hear about your favourite mother and child paintings so please feel free to leave a comment (and if you have trouble, let me know).

 

Until next time,

 

~ Gail

 

 

PS. Guess I better start researching father and child paintings. Fair’s fair.