Peasant Mother and Child

Mary Cassatt

National Gallery of Art

The image shows an upper-body view of a woman and a child. The woman is seated slightly turned to her left, with her upper body and head visible. Her hair is dark, neatly pulled back into a bun. She appears to be looking affectionately at the child, who is being held in the woman’s arms, facing forward. The child has short, dark hair with straight bangs and round cheeks, with visible facial features including eyes, nose, and mouth. Both the woman and the child are wearing light-colored garments; the woman’s attire includes long sleeves and a high collar while the child is in a similarly light outfit. There is no visible jewelry on the woman, and both individuals are not holding any objects. The background of the image is plain and unadorned.