Study for the Mother in The Fisherman’s Family c. 1875

Pierre Puvis de Chavannes created this study for the mother in The Fisherman’s Family, a large painting made in 1848, during a period of intense social upheaval in France. The drawing offers insight into the artist’s approach to representing women within the context of family and society. Chavannes, working in a time when women's roles were highly circumscribed, presents a nude figure, but there is something about her gaze, directed away and down that communicates something other than availability. The materiality of the study --the lines of the grid beneath the drawing—imply a geometric approach to the placement of the figure within the larger canvas. This can feel at odds with the soft and vulnerable depiction of the woman. The study provides an understanding of the artist’s process of visualizing the maternal figure, inviting reflection on the complex interplay between art, gender, and social expectations. It offers a glimpse into the artist's mind, revealing his negotiation of traditional representations and alternative narratives.