Who painted Mother and Children?

Mother and Children was painted by George Bellows in 1916.

Where can I see Mother and Children?

Mother and Children is held by National Gallery of Art.

Artwork

Mother and Children

George Bellows , 1916

Mother and Children is an ink print by George Bellows. It dates from 1916 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

George Bellows produced the black‑and‑white lithograph *Mother and Children* in 1916. The image captures a domestic interior at night, rendered in stark contrast and populated by a reclining woman and two young children. The composition is confined to a single plane, emphasizing the cramped, dimly lit space and the figures’ weary expressions.

Subject & Meaning

The scene presents a mother lying on a simple bed, flanked by her two children, within a modest, cluttered room that includes a table and a window opening onto a dark street. The figures appear exhausted, suggesting themes of poverty, familial responsibility, and the quiet struggles of everyday life in an urban setting.

Technique & Style

Executed with stone lithography, Bellows applied ink directly to a prepared stone surface, then transferred the image onto paper. The print is characterized by aggressive, scratchy lines and a limited tonal range, creating a sense of immediacy and tension. The stark monochrome palette heightens the atmosphere of confinement and fatigue.

History & Provenance

Created during Bellows’s early forays into printmaking, the work reflects his interest in social realism and urban subjects. While specific ownership records are limited, the lithograph has been included in exhibitions of Bellows’s graphic oeuvre and is held in several public collections that focus on early 20th‑century American art.

Artist & collection

Artist

George Bellows

George Wesley Bellows (August 12 or August 19, 1882 – January 8, 1925) was an American realist painter, known for his bold depictions of urban life in New York City.