Dialogue by Mark:

Hey, our very own hug therapist, Kim at KidsArt, found us a famous art history hug for today's Masters' Gallery. This painting is called "Mother and Child." It was done by Mary Cassatt in 1889.

Cassatt was an American artist who lived in Paris, France. Paris was the center of the western art world in the late 1800's. Back then, it was very unusual for a woman to be a professional artist. Lots of women were artists, of course, but they were expected to do it as a hobby...to stay home and just paint things for their friends and families. Cassatt, on the other hand, wanted to create art that was the best in the world. She had to fight her family and most of society to become an artist at this level. In fact, moving to Paris was part of it. There she flet that people took her more seriously than they did back home in Philadelphia.

Still it was hard. For example, it wasn't proper for a woman to hire a man to model for a painting. A model is someone who sits still in a pose while the artist sketches and paints. So since Cassatt wasn't susposed to hire male models, she turned to models who were allowed to visit her...women and children. Now Cassatt is fameous for her pictures of moms and babies - usually sleepy babys who would hold still like the little guy in this picture. He does look nearly asleep, chewing on his fingers while his mom rocks him gently.

Huge hugs to the Cincinnati Art Museum for sending us this great painting!