Artwork
Maternal Love
Maternal Love is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Luigi Conconi. It dates from 1893 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Luigi Conconi’s print *Maternal Love*, executed in 1893, is a modestly sized work that combines etching with monotype inking on a chine collé support. The piece belongs to the print category and reflects the artist’s interest in intimate domestic scenes.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a newborn infant curled against a mother’s torso, their heads inclined toward one another in a tranquil repose. A profusion of tangled branches and foliage drifts across the lower margin, framing the figures and suggesting a natural, protective enclosure. The title underscores the affectionate bond suggested by the close physical contact.
Technique & Style
Conconi employed a hybrid process: the primary outlines and details were incised in copper plates for etching, while areas of tone were achieved through a monotype wash applied directly to the plate before printing. The resulting image is rendered in loose, sketch-like lines and soft gray washes, giving the scene a fleeting, almost impressionistic quality despite the precise print medium.
History & Provenance
Created toward the end of the 19th century, *Maternal Love* was produced during a period when Conconi explored mixed print techniques. While specific ownership records are scarce, the work has appeared in catalogues of Italian printmaking from the 1890s and is occasionally cited in studies of Conconi’s early oeuvre.
Artist & collection
![Solitudine [Solitude], by Luigi Conconi](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/luigi-conconi--solitudine-solitude--77a3a7f30704bafe-w320.webp)
