Mother and Child - Paul Cadmus

Mother and Child 
Paul Cadmus, 1934
At the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC

Lovely woodcut in a more classic style by Paul Cadmus, where the child seems to fold into the mother herself. 

Mother and Child in a Fallout Shelter

Mother and Child 
Raphael Soyer, 1969
At the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC

"This is a young woman called Gypsy who had a child with a black man. I thought of this scene as mother and madonna. To me, she signifies the madonna of our times. Instead of a halo she has the sign for an atomic fallout shelter." 

I have a whole series of mother-and-child pictures from the Art museum, so perhaps it will be interesting to put them in contrast with each other. The quote above, from the artist, was repeated on page 71 of Milly Heyd's book, Mutual Reflections: Jews and Blacks in American Art, which in itself might be worth a read.

Head of a Woman in Jerusalem - Tanner

Head of a Woman in Jerusalem 
Henry Ossawa Tanner, 20th century
At the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC

Quite striking because the picture keeps leading you back to her face, which has me wondering what she's looking at -- is it hesitation? Interest? She seems to be concerned about something, and the touch of blue on her shoulder keeps catching my eyes as well. 

Female Nudes - Okay for Shapely Women?

Female Nude 
Carl Newman, 20th century 
At the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC


I love the lines on this one, as well as the light shading. But are tasteful nudes appropriate at Shapely Women? I realize they can make some uncomfortable, but they're also a large part of the art world. If you have a preference, feel free to voice it here!

Seated Woman - Modernist

Seated Woman
Rosalind Bengelsdorf, 1938
At the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC

Seated Woman in Blue and Black Dress

Seated Woman in Blue and Black Dress
William H. Johnson, 1940
At the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC

Seated Woman in Green Suit

Seated Woman in Green Suit 
William H. Johnson, 1940
At the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC

Barefoot Seated Woman in Green Jacket

Barefoot Seated Woman in Green Jacket

William H. Johnson, 1940 

At the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Washington DC

Woman With Cats

Woman With Cats
Will Barnet, 1962

This is one of my favorites from this set -- I love how her languid pose matches that of the lazy cats, and how the cool grey colors make everything so chill and relaxed.

What else do you see?