Emma and Her Baby, Chelsea Embankment 1888 - 1889

This is Theodore Roussel’s delicate etching, "Emma and Her Baby, Chelsea Embankment." Although undated, it offers a glimpse into the late 19th-century world of women and children. Roussel, who was deeply influenced by James McNeill Whistler, captures a tender moment of maternal affection. Yet, it's impossible to ignore the socio-economic realities subtly woven into the image. Emma, presumably a working-class woman, is seen with her child against the backdrop of the Chelsea Embankment, an area undergoing rapid urban development at the time. The fence creates a visual barrier, perhaps speaking to the divisions of class and access. We’re left to wonder about Emma's life, her struggles, and her dreams for her child in a rapidly changing London. The simple, yet intimate portrayal evokes a quiet contemplation of motherhood. It is tinged with the realities of gender and class in the Victorian era.