Mother and Child

Description

This tender moment between a mother and her child is characteristic of Kate Greenaway’s idealized images of childhood. Working in the late 1800s, Greenaway depicted clothing vaguely inspired by the fashion of the early 1800s, suggesting that the image was from a moment in an idealized past when things were simpler and happier. Greenaway was one of the most successful female illustrators of her time. Her illustrations were used not only in children’s books but also in a variety of consumer products, including calendars, address books, plates, and textiles, and even influenced children’s fashion.

Provenance

Leona E. Prasse [1896–1984], Rocky River, OH, given to The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (?–1955); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (March 10, 1955–)

Mother and Child

Kate Greenaway

1898

Accession Number

1955.454

Medium

graphite and watercolor on paper

Dimensions

Sheet: 15.3 x 10.1 cm (6 x 4 in.)

Classification

Drawing

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Gift of Leona E. Prasse