Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Art and Beauty Tuesday--Bernard de Hoog


Today's Art and Beauty Tuesday is Mother's Joy by Bernard de Hoog.  There is nothing flashy or colorful about this painting--only the simple joy of raising a family, something the majority of us are called by God to do.

The colors, muted, soft, earthy and unvaried show the everydayness of motherhood and family.  The scene is replete with the simplicity of the home.

Light streams in from the open window and illuminates the mother and baby, focusing especially on the infant, whose white hat makes him or her the center of the picture.  The infant is the focus of the future and of hope.

4 comments:

newguy40 said...

Yeah, but the older sibling is thinking... "Hmm... how do I get that new kid away from Mom?" :)

Staying in Balance said...

LOL! :)

Barbara Schoeneberger said...

This painting could almost be a Madonna and Child. With the position of the heads and the mother's arm, the eye travels in a perfect circle, showing the unity of the mother and child. There will always be shadows in our lives, but the loving relationship of mother and child gets us through. The older child standing farther off suggests to me that our relationships with our mothers is always distinct and individual, as is our relationship with Mother Mary.

It looks like springtime outside - my favorite time of the year.

Staying in Balance said...

Excellent observations, Barbara! The mother and child image is a universal one of comfort.

Dymphna's favorite quotes


"Slavery ended in medieval Europe only because the church extended its sacraments to all slaves and then managed to impose a ban on the enslavement of Christians (and of Jews). Within the context of medieval Europe, that prohibition was effectively a rule of universal abolition. "— Rodney Stark

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