Eastman Johnson Catalogue Raisonné
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Photo: Courtesy the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
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18.0 Mother and Child
The mother and child theme in art not only has references to Christian art but also to the realities of caregiving by women. Johnson seems to have been particularly drawn to the theme as the result of his wife’s caring for their daughter, Ethel. —PH
Hills no. 18.0.5
The Mother
Alternate titles: Mother and Child; Mother Feeding Her Child
c.1871–72
Oil on paper board
15 1/2 x 13 in. (39.4 x 33 cm) (sight)
Signed lower right: E. Johnson
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Description / Remarks
Hills, 2021: It is an intimate scene—unusual in American painting. The models were likely Johnson's wife, Elizabeth, and his daughter, Ethel, born May 1870. Therefore, the date would be c. 1871–72.
Exhibitions
Wildenstein & Co, New York, Eastman Johnson, Summer 1948. (Wildenstein 1948), no. 8, as Mother Feeding Her Child.
M. H. de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco, Eastman Johnson: Seven Paintings by the Highly Regarded Nineteenth-Century American Artist, December 1979–January 1980. (M. H. de Young Memorial Museum 1979).
Hudson River Museum, Yonkers, New York, Domestic Bliss: Family Life in American Painting, 1840–1910, May 18–July 14, 1986, no. 37, as Mother and Child. Traveled to: Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum, Rochester, New York, August 17–November 30, 1986.
References
Hills, Patricia. The Genre Paintings of Eastman Johnson: The Sources and Development of His Style and Themes. New York: Garland Publishing, 1977, p. 97.
Hills Examination / Opinion
Examination date(s): 1970-04-23
Examination notes: Silvery blue dress. Reddish-brown shadows. Yellow beads around neck. Baby: salmon pink shirt, ochre sleeve. Luminous shadows. Pot in niche above fireplace. Baby: pinkish toes. Impasto minimized. Overall: silvery blue and dark brown black. Spots of salmon pink, ochre and pale pink in center.
Related work
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Keywords
- Subject matter:
Record last updated July 24, 2021. Please note that the information on this and all pages is periodically reviewed and subject to change.
Citation: Hills, Patricia, and Abigael MacGibeny. "The Mother, c.1871–72 (Hills no. 18.0.5)." Eastman Johnson Catalogue Raisonné. www.eastmanjohnson.org/catalogue/entry.php?id=227 (accessed on April 26, 2024).