Artwork
Nannies with a Child
Nannies with a Child is a chalk drawing by Jules Pascin. It dates from 1917 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1917, *Nannies with a Child* is a small-scale drawing by Jules Pascin executed in watercolor and black chalk on wove paper. The composition shows three women seated on the ground, one cradling an infant. The figures are rendered in loose, flowing garments against a backdrop of trees and foliage, suggesting an outdoor setting.
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts a domestic scene in which caretakers gather around a child, emphasizing themes of nurturing and communal care. The anonymity of the women's faces directs attention to their collective role rather than individual identity, inviting contemplation of the quiet intimacy inherent in everyday caregiving moments.
Technique & Style
Pascin combines transparent watercolor washes with the linear precision of black chalk, producing a soft, atmospheric effect. The muted palette and delicate brushwork blur facial details, while the chalk outlines sustain the sense of form. This hybrid approach yields a dreamlike quality that aligns with the artist’s broader interest in lyrical, impressionistic renderings of the human figure.
History & Provenance
The drawing was completed during Pascin’s later years in Paris, a period marked by prolific output in both oil and works on paper. While specific ownership records are limited, the piece has been documented in catalogues of Pascin’s watercolors and is held in private collections that focus on early‑20th‑century modernist drawings.
Context
*Nannies with a Child* emerges from a time when Pascin, a Bulgarian‑born artist active in the Parisian avant‑garde, frequently explored intimate domestic subjects. The work reflects his ongoing fascination with the everyday lives of women and children, a motif also present in his contemporaneous sketches and paintings.
Artist & collection
