Selected Work and Main Thesis
For this project, two pieces of art that have a common theme of mothers nursing their children were selected. The first choice is the Mother Rose Nursing Her Child, a painting by Mary Cassatt done in 1900 during the impressionism period on oil painting and canvas, with a dimension of 57.78×71.75 cm and housed in a private location (see Fig. 1). The second choice was Self-portrait/Nursing, a painting by Catherine Opie done in 2004 during the contemporary period with a Dimension of 40×31 inches (101.6×78.7) (see Fig. 2).
It is housed at The Guggenheim Museum and Foundation in New York City. The two paintings show women breastfeeding and nurturing their babies. Breastfeeding is beautiful and important for the development of children, but many people have a negative perception of it and think it should not be done publicly. Additionally, natural breastfeeding provides the baby with the best nutrition and fosters a strong bond between mother and child.
Through their art, Mary Cassatt and Catherine Opie capture the natural intimacy of a mother breastfeeding her child, emphasizing its beauty and profound significance with realism. Their work serves to critique and challenge the strong societal taboos surrounding breastfeeding, directly confronting the antagonistic relationship between this practice and established norms.
This paper will evaluate the visual, historical, and cultural context of each of the selected works to assess their contribution to shaping the act of breastfeeding and social perceptions of motherhood. In particular, despite being created in different artistic eras, they both share a common theme that highlights the importance of maternal care and nurturance and challenges societal notions of womanhood.
Visual and Historical Analysis
The painting by Mary Cassatt, titled “Mother Rose Nursing Child,” reflects the social identity of the day, where notions of motherhood were still evolving in the early 20th century. During this period, the Impressionist style was widely adopted by many artists, including the creator of “Mother Rose Nursing Child.” This style allowed Cassatt to capture a tender and genuine moment of motherly care (Gottlieb 5). In addition, the role of women in society was also changing, and her portrayal of the nursing mother challenges certain aspects of the gender norms prevalent at this time.
Similarly, Catherine Opie’s self-portrait of a nursing mother captures the same theme as Cassatt’s portrayal in the 20th century. However, the style employed by Opie is contemporary, which is fundamentally different from the impression style. This self-portrait is especially important now, given the intense debate on motherhood and people’s perception of public breastfeeding. Despite their simplistic nature, changes in social norms and personal identity have made motherhood and breastfeeding increasingly visible and controversial topics (Murray 142).
The raw and unapologetic portrayal of a nursing mother confronts the societal stigmas that see public nursing as taboo (McClure 109). In addition, it emphasizes the inherent truth that women should be able to breastfeed and nurse their children while at the same time challenging the objectification of the woman’s body. These artworks have a significant impact on shaping social and cultural identities by challenging traditional perceptions about motherhood and promoting an inclusive view of maternal experiences.
Mary Cassatt’s portrayal of the nursing mother breaks stereotypes regarding gender roles and exposes the emotional connection between a mother and their breastfeeding toddler (Mody et al. 4562). On the other hand, Catherine Opie’s self-portrait has been instrumental in sparking debate on body positivity and public breastfeeding.
These works of art have helped inspire contemporary artists to explore the theme of motherhood more diversely and intimately, aiming to eliminate the taboo often imposed on breastfeeding. In contemporary art, various pieces depict the maternal bond and tackle issues such as gender roles, body image, and the challenges faced by women, drawing inspiration from artists like Cassatt and Opie (Murray 142). In their quest to tackle these topics and challenge people’s notions of motherhood, artists employ various media, including photography, paintings, and installations.
Comparative Analysis
The artworks by Mary Cassatt and Catherine Opie are essentially similar because they both depict a woman engaged in breastfeeding a child. Mary Cassatt’s artwork is an oil painting that emphasizes light and color, characteristic of the Impressionist style. On the other hand, Opei’s artwork is a self-portrait photographic work that captures a realistic moment, conveying authenticity through its color scheme (McClure 112).
Additionally, the Mother Rose Nursing Child painting by Cassatt reflects the early 20th-century cultural ideology, in which motherhood was perceived as an essential component of womanhood (Mody et al. 4560). It challenged the parochial view of women at the time by showcasing their motherly and nurturing nature, which was essential for the growth and thriving of the next generation.
Additionally, Catherine Opie’s self-portrait embodies the evolving debate on gender roles and body autonomy perfectly. At its core, the artwork challenges the notion of objectifying a woman’s body and the idea that womanhood should restrict a woman’s choices or identity (McClure 108). Furthermore, Cassatt’s artwork is significant because it was created during a pivotal moment when women were demanding gender equality. Thus, its existence at the moment captures the changing role of a woman to a more empowered and active member of society. In contrast, Opie’s artwork represents modern motherhood, where she struggles for acceptance and understanding.
Parallels
The third artwork that explores similar themes to the two pieces examined in this paper is “Balancing Both Worlds: A Series on Working Moms” from the 2016 project “The Honest Body Project” by Natalie McCain. This artwork features black-and-white portraits of women who must balance their roles as mothers and professionals, highlighting the joys and challenges of being a working mother (Siebert n.p.). McCain’s work is similar to artworks by Cassatt and Opie because it explores a similar theme of motherhood and societal expectations.
It also showcases the evolving nature of gender roles as women struggle to find an optimal balance between nurturing their children and their careers. The theme explored by this artwork is extremely relevant today as the debate on parental leave and work-life balance dominates discussions on fair labor practices. McCain’s artwork sheds light on the struggle of balancing life and work demands for mothers, highlighting the need to support and facilitate them in achieving that balance.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the analysis of the art of Mary Cassatt and Catherine Opie highlights the power of creative work to challenge deeply ingrained societal norms and shape cultural identities. While the two art pieces were created in different eras, they share a common theme: the beauty and significance of motherhood, while also challenging traditional expectations of motherhood.
Through their unique styles, the artists highlight the evolving nature of a woman’s role in society and the complexities of maternal experiences. Moreover, the parallel work by Mary McCain further emphasizes this theme by advocating for support and recognition of working mothers. Together, these art pieces embody the transformative nature of art and influence the individual understanding of motherhood and the female experience.
Works Cited
Gottlieb, Shira. “Mary Cassatt’s La Lecture: The New Grandmother.” Woman’s Art Journal, vol. 42. no. 1, 2021, pp. 3-11.
McClure, Luciana Quagliato. Visual Autoethnography: Re-Imagining Motherhood Through Mother-Artist Experiences. Southern Connecticut State University, 2022.
Mody, Lona, et al. “Success in Science: What We Can Learn from Women Artists.” Journal of Clinical Investigation, vol. 129, no. 11, 2019, pp. 4560–4562.
Murray, Soraya. “Domestic Snapshots: Female Self-Imaging Practices Then and Now.” Visual Culture Approaches to the Selfie. Routledge, 2021. 139–165.
Siebert, Valerie. “Natalie McCain Photographs Working Moms as They Share Daily Struggles.” Daily Mail Online, 2016.