Mother and Child
George de Forest Brush
1894 · Oil on wood · The American Wing
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.
- Artist
- George de Forest Brush
- Date
- 1894
- Medium
- Oil on wood
- Culture
- American
- Department
- The American Wing
- Credit line
- Gift of J. William Middendorf II, 1968
