Connections: Motherhood

Lecturer Jean Sorabella finds inspiration in idealized depictions of mothers.

May 4, 2011

5 min. watch

"She makes it look so easy, and she's never punishing the Christ child, or giving him a time-out."

Lecturer Jean Sorabella finds inspiration in idealized depictions of mothers.

Art Mentioned

Mother and Child (The Oval Mirror), Mary Cassatt American, Oil on canvas, American — Mother and Child (The Oval Mirror)
Mary Cassatt
ca. 1899

A Mother's Pearls, Thomas Seir Cummings American, born England, Watercolor on ivory, American — A Mother's Pearls
Thomas Seir Cummings
1841

Yashoda with the Infant Krishna
, Copper alloy, India (Tamil Nadu, Pudukkottai and Tanjavur districts) — Yashoda with the Infant Krishna
India (Tamil Nadu, Pudukkottai and Tanjavur districts)
early 12th century

“Hour of the Rat: Mistress,” from the series Women’s Daily Customs (Fuzoku bijin tokei), Kitagawa Utamaro Japanese, Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Japan — “Hour of the Rat: Mistress,” from the series Women’s Daily Customs (Fuzoku bijin tokei)
Kitagawa Utamaro
1790

Louise Brongniart, Jean Antoine Houdon French, Marble, French, Paris — Louise Brongniart
Jean Antoine Houdon
1779, after a portrait of 1777

Marble grave stele of a little girl, Marble, Parian, Greek — Marble grave stele of a little girl
Greek
ca. 450–440 BCE

Bronze statue of Eros sleeping, Bronze, Greek — Bronze statue of Eros sleeping
Greek
3rd–2nd century BCE

Madonna and Child, Giovanni Bellini Italian, Oil on wood — Madonna and Child
Giovanni Bellini
late 1480s

Virgin and Child, Dieric Bouts Netherlandish, Oil on wood — Virgin and Child
Dieric Bouts
ca. 1455–60

Hagar in the Wilderness, Camille Corot French, Oil on canvas — Hagar in the Wilderness
Camille Corot
1835

Christ Taking Leave of His Mother, Gerard David Netherlandish, Oil on wood — Christ Taking Leave of His Mother
Gerard David
ca. 1500

Andromache and Astyanax, Pierre Paul Prud'hon French, Oil on canvas — Andromache and Astyanax
Pierre Paul Prud'hon
completed by Charles Pompée Le Boulanger de Boisfrémont
?1813–17; 1823–24?

Charity, Guido Reni Italian, Oil on canvas — Charity
Guido Reni
ca. 1630

Venus and Adonis, Peter Paul Rubens Flemish, Oil on canvas — Venus and Adonis
Peter Paul Rubens
probably mid-1630s

Madonna and Child, Titian (Tiziano Vecellio) Italian, Oil on wood — Madonna and Child
Titian (Tiziano Vecellio)
ca. 1508

The Dance Class, Edgar Degas French, Oil on canvas — The Dance Class
Edgar Degas
1874

Two Princesses, Limestone, paint — Two Princesses
ca. 1347–1330 BCE

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