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Mother and Child (Baby Getting up from His Nap), c. 1899
Oil on canvas, 36 1/2 x 29 in. (92.7 x 73.7 cm)
George A. Hearn Fund, 1927 (09.27)
One of Mary Cassatt's most ambitious compositions, this painting centers on the intimacy of mother and child that she made her specialty after about 1893. In composition and execution, the picture has a modernity that grew out of Cassatt's commitment to Impressionism in the late 1870s. The brushwork is vigorous and spontaneous, particularly in the figures, the decorative arabesques of the upholstery, and the background. Cassatt's interest in paint texture is also evident. She skillfully conveys the transitory quality of the moment. In contrast to the abruptly receding perspective in Lydia Crocheting in the Garden at Marly, the space in this painting is shallow. However, the lack of depth is less extreme than in such works as Lady at the Tea Table and Cassatt's Japanese-inspired colorprints.

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