Mother of the First King

John Sloan

1908 · Lithograph · Drawings and Prints

Sloan's first attempt at printing a lithograph. The subject was based on the below poem of the same title found in Sloan's files. No author or source for the poem has been discovered - it is possible that it was written by Sloan himself, see: Morse 1969, p. 159. The Mother of the First King (manuscript copy by John Sloan) Long, long ago when Earth and Life were young When Motherhood into the World brought Love To stir ambition in the human heart She sat upon her solitary rock And dreamed again her dream of coming years No longer men were struggling for themselves But led by one more wise, more strong than they Were joined in bonds of common loyalty And Selfish Love which left her sitting lone Gave place to Love for Others, Ah how long! How long was he upon his conquering way – This man, the Nation builder of her dreams! The man child foaled in her ambition stirred Upon her lap – but she – she saw him not Nor knew that she was mother to the King.

Artist

John Sloan

Date

1908

Medium

Lithograph

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1924