ARTH 205 Lecture Notes - Separate Spheres, Henrietta Rae, Emily Mary Osborn
26 Oct 2011
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Images of motherhood are comparable to images of bars and halls etc was a surprisingly modern subject matter in 1870s, 1880s. Before that most paintings of motherhood were of peasants. or mythologized or allegorized. Not meant to be real depictions of a real life mother. Bouguereau, the joys of motherhood, 1878 typical example of the trend for representing mothers were pretty, peasant, romantic view of working class life. Baby almost looks like little cupid figure, not real life baby, idealized out in nature. not in a home. in the countryside enjoying themselves. Cassatt, mother about to wash her sleepy child, 1880. Different, motherhood located in a specific place at a specific time. Bowl on table, chair she"s sitting on, etc shows its a bourgeois household. Child is not idealized, his legs are gangly sticking out at weird angles, not flattering portrait of the child. They"re getting rid of romantic idea of motherhood.
