Destitute Mother and Child in Winter

c. 1850

Octave Tassaert

(French, 1800–1874)

Culture

France, 19th century

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

Framed: 33 x 25 cm (13 x 9 13/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift in memory of Helen Borowitz 2013.257

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Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

Greatly admired by writers and social activists, Octave Tassaert provided illustrations for books by such celebrated authors as Alexandre Dumas père and Victor Hugo.

Description

One of France's leading artists of the mid-19th century, Octave Tassaert was known for his paintings of downtrodden workers, destitute mothers, suicides, and abandoned children. Viewers responded positively to his focus on issues of social injustice, as seen in this painting of a poor mother resting outdoors in the snow with her baby. She is leaning against a pile of sticks, a common activity among the poor of gathering and selling small pieces for wood for burning in fireplaces or stoves.