The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 20, 2025

Mother and Child

1898

Kate Greenaway

(British, 1846–1901)
England, 19th century
graphite and watercolor on paper
Sheet: 15.3 x 10.1 cm (6 x 4 in.)
Gift of Leona E. Prasse 1955.454
Location: Not on view

Description

This tender moment between a mother and her child is characteristic of Kate Greenaway’s idealized images of childhood. Working in the late 1800s, Greenaway depicted clothing vaguely inspired by the fashion of the early 1800s, suggesting that the image was from a moment in an idealized past when things were simpler and happier. Greenaway was one of the most successful female illustrators of her time. Her illustrations were used not only in children’s books but also in a variety of consumer products, including calendars, address books, plates, and textiles, and even influenced children’s fashion.
  • ?–1955
    Leona E. Prasse [1896–1984], Rocky River, OH, given to The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
    March 10, 1955–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Fairy Tales and Fables: Illustration and Storytelling in Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (May 4-September 8, 2024).
    Leona E. Prasse, Connoisseur and Curator. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (May 28-August 25, 1985).
  • {{cite web|title=Mother and Child|url=false|author=Kate Greenaway|year=1898|access-date=20 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1955.454