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, 2021: The subject is explained by William Sydney Mount who made a note in his diary, undated: “National Academy of Design—Interior of Kitchen (Eastman Johnson). The appurtenances of which are neatly arranged & carefully studied. Before the hearth near the fire is a cradle, and the young mother, exhausted from the exercise of her domestic duties, falls asleep over the infant. This picture is simply treated and tells its own story. In this line of painting Mr. Johnson has no equal in this country. The picture is called Comfort in Weariness.” This diary entry was typed by Alfred Frankenstein and mailed to me on June 4, 1972.
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