Mother’s Kiss

Close up of Mother’s Kiss

A print portrays a seated, dark-haired, light-skinned woman cradling a naked infant closely. She tilts her head down as if to kiss the child, who appears to make eye contact with her. The woman wears a pale blue, patterned dress, which almost blends into the blue background.
A print portrays a seated, dark-haired, light-skinned woman cradling a naked infant closely. She tilts her head down as if to kiss the child, who appears to make eye contact with her. The woman wears a pale blue, patterned dress, which almost blends into the blue background.
Mary Cassatt, Mother's Kiss, 1890-1891; Drypoint and aquatint on paper, 13 3/4 x 9 in.; National Museum of Women in the Arts, Gift of John and Linda Comstock in loving memory of Abigail Pearson Van Vleck; Photo by Lee Stalsworth

A prolific and innovative printmaker, Mary Cassatt created Mother’s Kiss as one of a series of 10 color prints intended for an 1891 exhibition at the influential Galerie Durand-Ruel in Paris. Cassatt had challenged herself to imitate the aesthetic of Japanese prints that she had seen on view in Paris the year before. The resulting series, which also includes The Bath, reflects the techniques and subjects Cassatt admired.

Cassatt skillfully evoked the tender relationship between mother and child through restrained handling of line, color, and pattern. A single line delineates both the curve of the mother’s left hand and the child’s left upper arm, visually emphasizing the physical and emotional closeness of the relationship. Like the Japanese prints she admired, her print features compressed space and limited three-dimensional modeling. These qualities further focus attention on the intimacy of the mother-child relationship.

Mother’s Kiss is one of many mother and child images for which Cassatt earned international renown. She initially experimented with the mother and child theme in the 1880s, inspired by the relationship between her sister-in-law and nephew. A decade later, Cassatt was regarded a specialist on the subject. Observing from real life, Cassatt developed the ability to capture a pose quickly, a necessary talent given the active nature of young children. Indeed, the child in Mothers Kiss appears capable of wriggling away at any moment.

Artwork Details

  • Artist

    Mary Cassatt
  • Title

    Mother’s Kiss
  • Date

    1890–91
  • Medium

    Drypoint and aquatint on paper
  • Dimensions

    13 3/4 x 9 in.
  • Donor Credit

    Gift of John and Linda Comstock in loving memory of Abigail Pearson Van Vleck
  • Photo Credit

    Lee Stalsworth
  • On Display

    No