Who painted Mother's Kiss?

Mother's Kiss was painted by Mary Cassatt in 1890.

Where can I see Mother's Kiss?

Mother's Kiss is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Mother's Kiss?

Mother's Kiss is associated with Impressionism.

Can I buy a print of Mother's Kiss?

Museum-quality prints of Mother's Kiss are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Mother's Kiss

Mary Cassatt , 1890

Mother's Kiss is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Mary Cassatt. It dates from 1890 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1890, Mother’s Kiss is a color print that combines drypoint, soft‑ground etching and aquatint on a sheet of Japanese paper.

Inscription: Inscribed:recto: at lower left in graphite in later hand: E; verso: none
Markings: Marked:none

About this work

Overview

Created in 1890, Mother’s Kiss is a color print that combines drypoint, soft‑ground etching and aquatint on a sheet of Japanese paper. The work depicts an intimate encounter between a mother and her infant, rendered with a quiet compositional balance that emphasizes the closeness of the figures against an unadorned background.

Subject & Meaning

The image captures a fleeting, tender gesture: a woman cradles a newborn, their faces nearly touching, while a few scattered leaves lie at their feet. This focus on private domestic interaction reflects the artist’s ongoing interest in the nuanced bonds between mothers and children, inviting viewers to contemplate affection and vulnerability within everyday life.

Technique & Style

Cassatt employed intaglio methods, drawing fine lines into a metal plate with a soft‑ground ground before etching and adding aquatint tones to achieve subtle color washes. The Japanese paper substrate contributes a delicate texture that mimics watercolor, while the soft, slightly blurred edges of the figures convey the fleeting quality of the moment.

History & Provenance

An American expatriate working in France, Cassatt was closely linked to the Impressionist circle and maintained a professional relationship with Edgar Degas. Mother’s Kiss was exhibited alongside her other prints that explore familial intimacy, and it remains part of the body of work that documents her printmaking experiments during the late 1880s and early 1890s.