Mother and Child

George de Forest Brush American

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 774

About 1892, Brush began a series of paintings depicting family groups which would occupy him for the next two decades. In "Mother and Child" the artist portrays his wife, Mary, holding their daughter, Nancy, accompanied by their son, Gerome. Brush's figures are well-observed and academically painted, reflecting his six years (1874-80) of training in Paris under Jean-Léon Gérôme. Contemporary critics remarked on the obvious relation of Brush's painting to Italian Renaissance depictions of the Madonna and Child but praised it as well for its universal sentiment-as a modern portrayal of the bonds between family members.

The frame was designed by Stanford White, a partner in the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White.

Mother and Child, George de Forest Brush (American, Shelbyville, Tennessee 1855–1941 Hanover, New Hampshire), Oil on wood, American

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Mother and Child, George de Forest Brush (American, Shelbyville, Tennessee 1855–1941 Hanover, New Hampshire), Oil on wood, American
Mother and Child, George de Forest Brush (American, Shelbyville, Tennessee 1855–1941 Hanover, New Hampshire), Oil on wood, American
Mother and Child, George de Forest Brush (American, Shelbyville, Tennessee 1855–1941 Hanover, New Hampshire), Oil on wood, American

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