Mothers and Children in Art

As I enjoyed being spoiled on this Mother's Day, I thought I'd share a few images of mothers and children from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collections. There's no subject as classic and timeless, and my favorite has to be this Japanese woodblock print from the late 18th century (image above) with mom giving those chubby baby legs a playful squeeze, mixed with that gorgeous use of line and pattern. Kitagawa Utamaro, Midnight Mother and Sleepy Child, 1790.

The grand dame of art showcasing the close relationship of mothers with their children has to be Mary Cassatt. American born, this Impessionist artist certainly captures moments like these through her exquisite treatment of color and light. Mary Cassatt, Young Mother Sewing, 1900

Although this painting looks like a screenshot from a BBC period miniseries, it's actually an early American painting. I think the artist might have been going for a romantic, wistful look for mom, but I suspect that's parental exhaustion on her face... Thomas Sully, Mother and Son, 1840.

It's true: We moms like to stick close to our kids. Yes, we overparent and helicoptor a bit too much. Although that popular expression didn't exist in ancient Egypt, moms shadowed their kids even into adulthood (not that I'm going to do that or anything) as seen in this facsimile painted in the early 20th century. Norman de Garis Davies, Djehuty and His Mother Receive Offerings, Tomb of Djehuty, ca. 1400 B.C.

Here's to all the mothers of history!