My eight-year-old client Tristan asked me today, “What is your very favorite thing you’ve ever done”? Most eight-year-old boys hardly talk in my dental chair, let alone act interested in my life! He proceeded to tell me “It can be anything, it can even be from the past." My answer was quick and easy “Becoming a mother”. This became the inspiration for my assignment. The piece of art I chose is “Mother and Child” by Mary Cassatt. Mary Cassett was a painter of the 1900s. She was best known for creating images of the social and private lives of women, with specific emphasis on the intimate bonds between mothers and children. I chose this specific painting over the others because of the pretty little blonde hair, blue-eyed girl who reminded me …show more content…
I read an analysis of this painting in which they focus on the little girl looking at her mother and learning what it means to be a woman capable of loving a child and learning how to be a human being while being still being a woman and a mother. I can personally relate to this on many levels. In 2005, I lost my best friend — my mother. She was a remarkable woman. She fought cancer for eighteen years. She taught me invaluable life lessons, most importantly strength, determination and love. She made me feel daily how love should feel between a mother and a child. I felt a huge void in my life for many years without her until I became a mother myself. I can say confidently in my 30’s that being a mother is truly the greatest thing I’ll ever be. The transition from being a woman to a mother can be hard for some women emotionally and physically; trying to balance being an individual as well as solely responsible for another human being. Fortunately, It came easy for me. I learned this from my mother. Becoming a mother has made me understand and appreciate my mother more than ever. I wish I could tell her this today and thank her for preparing me for motherhood. However, I
Mary Cassatt was most widely known for her impressionist pieces that depicted mother (or nanny) and child. She was faced with many struggles throughout her life and received much criticism, even after her death in 1926. She found it difficult to receive appropriate recognition for her pieces during her early career. Many were unaccepted by the Salon. Cassatt lived for many years in France after her successful career, which ended abruptly when she went blind. Her talent placed her pieces in many famous museums throughout the world and landed her name among the famous artists of her time. As well as paving the way for powerful women, like herself. She lived during a time of suffragettes searching for equality.
The role of women in American society in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries was focused entirely on motherhood. During this period, artists continuously portrayed this social expectation. For example, Mary Cassatt’s Mother and Child painted in 1889 shows this intimate relationship. Similarly, Bessie Porter Vonnoh depicts a mother and child together in sculpture. This idea of representing the mother and child relationship in art is timeless; there are various works of Madonna and Child composed by many Old Masters such as Raphael and Michelangelo. Vonnoh’s work was different though, the use of medium and texture allows her to bring this sacred connection of mother and child into everyday life.
The Family painting is watercolor on canvas with dimension 30 x 70 cm. This piece is the representational of full family that consist of father, mother, baby, son, daughter and the dog. They are all standing in the red and blue background with different poses and positions. The daughter is in the
now that I am a mother I understand her ways of parenting and thanks to her many lessons
W. S. Ross once said “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.” As simple as this quip may sound, its complex implications are amplified through the life of every person born since the beginning of humanity. What attribute makes a mother such an extraordinary influence over her young? One such attribute is the ability to nurture. Beyond the normal challenges of cooking, cleaning, schooling, singing, feeding, and changing is the motivation by which such sacrifices are made possible. One cannot raise a child without mutual respect. Emotion and anxiety must drive her instincts. Her ability to foster is only heightened by minute personal imperfections and overwhelming responsibility that lead to a lack of confidence. Yet the prevailing characteristic that separates a ‘birth giver’ from a ‘mother’ is the unconditional, undying, and at times underestimated love for her child. To be a mother in the purest sense, she must embrace this notion of nurture.
Aristotle once claimed that, “The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” Artists, such as Louise-Elizabeth Vigée Le Brun and Mary Cassatt, captured not only the way things physically appeared on the outside, but also the emotions that were transpiring on the inside. A part no always visible to the viewer. While both artists, Le Brun and Cassatt, worked within the perimeters of their artistic cultures --the 18th century in which female artists were excluded and the 19th century, in which women were artistically limited-- they were able to capture the loving relationship between mother and child, but in works such as Marie Antoinette and Her Children and Mother Nursing her Child 1898,
The painting I chose was The German by Andrew Wyeth. The German was painted in 1975 and consists of watercolor and black ink. The German is a watercolor painting about a German solider during World War I. The subject matter of the painting attracted me because, I like the story a historical painting tells; historical paintings in general, grab my attention more than portraits. I can appreciate the fact that Andrew Wyeth portrayed a WWI figure or event than a WWII figure or event because, a lot of paintings are about WWII.
The artwork I chose for the art criticism project was ‘The Survivors’ by Kathe Kollwitz. The piece was created in 1923 in Berlin, Germany, where she resided with her husband. She and her husband resided in a poorer area, and it is believed to have contributed too much of her artwork style. ‘The Survivors’ is currently displayed in two museums, the MoMA and the Kathe Kollwitz Museum. In the piece there is a woman directly in the middle, with sunken in cheek bones is draped in a black cloak. Her arms are around three small children, who look very frightened. On each side of her body there are an additional four small children who convey sadness upon their innocent faces. Also, they are outstretching their arms as if they are begging for her to give them something. In the background, on the top left side, there are two elderly men with their heads down, looking as if they are very sad and
It also gives an appreciation for motherhood. During the time this painting was made, people were suffering all throughout Europe from the Black Plague. People were turning to prayer and faith for comfort. People wanted order and peace after the plague, and this art piece was like many others made in that time that represented a return to prayer and faith. This art piece also shows return to a more traditional Christian style of painting.
Equally important is the interpretation of this piece which emphasizes on the choices a mother must make and type of sorrow she must embrace in order to grasp the consequences of her loss. The mother in the sculpture is clearly in distress as she hides her face in her hands. Likewise, the child is transparent and almost angelic, which seems to be trying to comfort the mother. Furthermore, the child in the sculpture is not depicted as a baby, but of a toddler to represent what the child could have been if his/her birth would of occurred. Even in that respect, this sculpture is meant to ease the hardship of those who have had the
Motherhood has taught me many life lessons. Before becoming a mother, I was a self centered child. I had no motivation to succeed. All I was worried about was where the next party was. At that time I had no want to try because I was so scared to fail. I was slowly progressing to go nowhere and do nothing with my life. That has all changed now. I no longer party or use drugs. I work full time, attend college full time and devote my all to my children. Without them I would probably be in a jail cell not where I am today.
Two of the works of art are paintings, both of these paintings share similar style. The first is an impressionism influenced piece painted by Pierre-Auguste Renoir in 1886 named Mother Nursing her Child. This painting originated in France, during the great impressionist movement, on an oil based canvas as well as, the second piece. A painting that is also painted by Renoir, titled A Woman Nursing a Child dated back to 1894.
Just seeing my daughter made me realize how important being her mother truly is, and how I am the one who will mold who she will become. First of all, my daughter made me mature and change my way of thinking one-hundred percent. After having her I talked to my teachers, my principal, and was able to finish my senior year of high school early threw an online program. As soon as I graduated high school, I got a job at Go Green to be able to support my daughter on my own. I was able to buy diapers and wipes as needed; I paid for my daughters whole first birthday party and all the accessories and decorations on my own.
Becoming a mother has been the best part of my life. I became a mother at a very young age. I had no idea what to expect and was not in the least prepared for the journey that lie ahead. I have truly embraced motherhood and enjoy all the wonderful things it has taught me. While living through motherhood, I have found that it can teach you the most valuable lessons there are to learn. Being a mother has taught me how to have patience. I have also learned that being a mother takes a lot on mental and physical strength. My children have been the best to teach me how to juggle many tasks at once. They have made me strong. Even through some unexpected turns, I have learned how to get through hard times and really learn what it means to never give up. My children are my biggest blessing, and I hope they will learn valuable lessons through me. The skills I have learned from being a mother have helped me in my college journey.
Many people, as well as myself, believe that a mother’s influence is one of the most important influences that one will ever come in contact with in their lives. A mother’s love, comfort, and support will often help to shape a child and allow them to become the person they need to be later on in life. My mother has had a great influence on my life from day one. I often refer to her as my “rock” because she is definitely a solid foundation in my life. Being that she is a great role model, my mother’s support and presence in my life has allowed me to grow as a person, keep my spirits high through hell and high water, prosper in all that I have done, as well as mold me to be a great person in the future.