Motherhood: An Artistic History

Tate Modern curator of international art Ann Coxon presents a captivating visual exploration of Motherhood, as seen through the eyes of artists over the last 150 years.

Depictions of motherhood are ever present in Western art, yet are rarely questioned or challenged. Perhaps we may shy away from a subject that could be seen as sentimental or overly associated with idealistic constructs of femininity, nurture, and care. Whether we are mothers ourselves or we bring—or nurture—life in a wider sense, we all have some understanding of motherhood. We are all born of a woman’s body. We are formed from the messy, challenging, self-denying, and transformative experiences of motherhood.

Giving birth to their creations, artists have represented this vital and complex subject in a variety of ways, offering insight into what motherhood might mean—its joys and challenges—and seeking to articulate its unspoken aspects. This beautiful gift book delves into the subject of motherhood as seen through the eyes of artists—including Louise Bourgeois, Frida Kahlo, Dorothea Tanning, Lucian Freud, David Hockney, Eileen Agar, and René Magritte—providing a fresh insight into maternity as a subject in art history and revealing the ways in which it has been confronted and reimagined in the last 150 years. Featuring 50 color artworks in a variety of media, this book is a celebration of motherhood in all its complexity.