Mother Berthe Holding Her Child

Mother Berthe Holding Her Child, created in 1889 by the American artist Mary Cassatt (1844-1926), is a delicate example of the artist's focused exploration of maternal subjects. This classification as a print, specifically a drypoint on cream wove paper, showcases Cassatt’s mastery of intaglio techniques during her peak period of printmaking experimentation. Drypoint involves scratching directly into the plate with a sharp needle, resulting in a soft, burred line ideally suited for capturing the texture and emotional immediacy of the subject.

Cassatt, though spending the majority of her career based in Paris, remained a leading figure among artists from the United States working internationally. During the late 1880s, she dedicated significant effort to depicting intimate domestic scenes, often featuring women and children in everyday settings. Unlike traditional historical portrayals of maternity, Cassatt approached the bond between mother and child with psychological honesty, deliberately avoiding the sentimentality often characteristic of genre painting. The quick, spontaneous lines typical of drypoint emphasize the fleeting nature of the moment captured between Mother Berthe and the infant she cradles.

As one of the most celebrated printmakers of her time, Cassatt’s prints are highly valued for their technical precision and emotional resonance. This impression of Mother Berthe Holding Her Child demonstrates the powerful impact of late nineteenth-century printmaking on modern art. The work is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it serves as a crucial document of the artist's evolving style. Due to its cultural importance, this foundational American artwork is frequently reproduced, and high-quality images are often made available through public domain collections, ensuring broad access to the artist's significant body of prints.