Mother and Child

Discussion

FROM THE BARNES FOUNDATION’S CATALOG

Maurice Denis sought to revive religious art by depicting everyday modern life with a sense of spirituality. This painting of a mother and child—a frequent subject for Denis—places the traditional icon of the Virgin Mary in the setting of a 19th-century French home. The young mother's simple black gown recalls the quintessential costume of the Parisian woman. Additionally, her delicately rendered features resemble those of Marthe, Denis's wife, highlighting the artist's desire to find divinity in his immediate surroundings.

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