Mother and Child c. 1870s

Paul Gauguin created this drawing, "Mother and Child," as part of his exploration into representing themes of motherhood and the exotic. Gauguin, living in late 19th-century France, was part of a movement of artists looking outside of the Western world for inspiration, often misinterpreting other cultures and framing his work through a colonial lens. Here, Gauguin renders a tender moment between a mother and child, likely inspired by his time in Tahiti. The image can be viewed through the lens of cross-cultural encounter and the idealization of the maternal figure, and also serves as an intimate study of human connection. What does this image tell us about the artist's perception of Tahitian women, and how does that interact with his European identity? Consider the gaze with which the artist approaches his subject, and the narratives of gender and culture it seems to perpetuate or challenge.