The theme for this painting bears relation to Madonna and Child. The portrait of the mother looks gentle with soft features and affectionate persona. Trying to infuse the two cultures, the artist had made the mother wear a full sleeved long dress but also a 'dupatta' covering her shoulders and head draped in traditional Indian style. She wears a black thread with a bead together with strings of pearls which give it a western touch. Devoid of any elaborate ornaments, she is a portrait of simplicity and motherhood.
The image of the sucking child though, leaves much to be desired. The child seems to be walking on the blue sheet spread on her lap and as he walks, he suckles at his mother's breast, the most unlikely and awkward position for the purpose. The physiognomy of the child bears a more complex relation to reality. The hips, thighs and the chest of the child is unnaturally depicted.
The painting done in baby pink and powder blue on a pale background may lack in realistic depiction of the baby but the theme of a mother sucking the baby is appealing. This painting belongs to the period that saw transition from Indian to European, not only in themes but in colours, draughtsmanship and other canons of painting.
This description by Kiranjyot
Of Related Interest:
Mother and Child (Water Color On Old Urdu Manuscript Paper)
Mother and Child (Water Color On Old Paper)
Mother and Child (Water Color On Paper)
Mother and Child (Batik Painting On Cotton)
Ganesha and Parvati (Kishangarh School Pencil Sketch on Paper)
The Milk of Paradise (Brass Statue)
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