Maternal Solicitude
1777
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1777
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
A woman in a loose, striped dress sits on a chair, reaching toward a small child who clutches a stuffed animal. Behind her, a door and a mirror hang on the wall, and a table holds a few small objects. The room looks simple but lived-in, with soft light shaping the figures. Notice how the artist uses light and shadow to make the faces stand out against the plain background. This was a common way to draw attention to emotions in portraits. Next, look up chiaroscuro to see how this technique works in other paintings.
