The Artistry of Motherhood
By Emma Hapner, May 15, 2024
“All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” - Abraham Lincoln
As you all know, this past Sunday, we celebrated Mother’s Day, a time for appreciating and honoring the women in our lives who have taken on the monumental role of motherhood. Mother’s Day is a great time to reflect not only on the women in our lives, but on the achievements of mothers throughout history and in the arts, and how this has shaped our understanding of motherhood today. The idea of motherhood, along with imagery of mother and child, is an essential aspect of the canon of art history from ancient times, to the contemporary.
Giotto di Bondone, Madonna Enthroned, 1310
Historically, some of the most impactful images of mothers depict the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus; a theme that has been explored by countless artists over time. This example is from the 14th century by Giotto di Bondone. Working in tempera on wood panel, Giotto portrays one of the most iconic Christian images, the Madonna and Child. Although this image may not seem particularly naturalistic today, it represented a giant step forward, away from the stiff, flatten Byzantine figures of the medieval period. Mary, placed in a realistic space on her throne, gazes out at the viewer, while gently holding the baby, Christ, on her lap, their golden halos identifying them as holy figures.
Élisabeth Lousie Vigée Le Brun, Self-Portrait with her Daughter, Julie, 1786
Born in Paris in 1755, Élisabeth Lousie Vigée Le Brun was one of the most talented painters of her time. By 15 years old, she was already accepting portrait commission from wealthy clients, and by 20, she was the favorite painter of Queen Marie-Antoinette. Her painting, Self-Portrait with her Daughter, Julie, displays not only her technical skills as a renowned portraitist, but also her loving relationship with her daughter.
Mary Cassatt, The Child’s Bath, 1893
Mary Cassatt was an American painter and printmaker, born in 1844 in Pennsylvania. She lived much of her adult life in France, where she befriended Edgar Degas and exhibited with the Impressionists. Cassatt is best known for her work exploring themes of women and children, while also experimenting with compositional elements of Japanese art. In Cassatt’s painting, The Child’s Bath, the child is gently cradled by the mother or nurse figure, conveying an overall feeling of protection and tenderness.
Käthe Kollwitz, Woman with Dead Child, 1903
Käthe Kollwitz was a German artist, born in 1867, who worked with painting, printmaking and sculpture. Her work was primarily centered on women and the working class. Working during the German Expressionist period, Kollwitz also focussed on conveying intense emotion through her naturalistic, yet evocative style. For example, the loss of her son during World War I, led to a lifelong exploration of the subject of mourning. The piece shown above, Mother with Dead Child, captures the feelings of grief and despair of a mother who has lost her child, recalling the traditional Pietà subject, of Mary holding the body of Christ after the crucifixion.
Colleen Barry, LUPA, 2023
Colleen Barry is an oil painter whose journey began in the vibrant streets of the Lower East Side in Manhattan, where she was raised. A recurring theme in Colleen's work is the exploration of maternity, delving into the complexities and beauty of this universal experience. Through the manipulation of her medium, primarily oil paint, Colleen captures the essence of motherhood with a depth that resonates on both a personal and universal level. Her painting shown here, LUPA, exemplifies primal, protectiveness, while simultaneously expressing the tenderness and love between a mother and her children that transcends time and place.
In an interview with Booooooom, Colleen wrote, “Since I became a mother of two daughters my artwork changed significantly. I moved away from portraits and started to paint the figure. I found the body could express ideas surrounding motherhood in a stronger, more powerful way.”
Erin Milez, Topsy Buttsy, 2023
Erin Milez grew up in Chicago and has split her adult years between Seattle and the New York City area. Milez’s work centers on being a mother in a young family, amplifying themes of affection, cleaning, and chaos. Each piece displays aspects of cultivating the home–loading the dishwasher, unloading the laundry, cooking dinner, making the bed, ect. The paintings of Erin Milez present the day to day lives of mother, father and child in colorful scenes that infuse mundane acts with a sense of warmth and vitality.
