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"A mother! How odd!" - Gordon Ross. LCCN2011648850-restored
Ross, Gordon, 1873-1946, artist
1910
- Classification
- Photograph
- Museum
- Wikimedia Commons
- Credit line
- Library of Congress Catalog: https://lccn.loc.gov/2011648850 Image download: https://cdn.loc.gov/master/pnp/ppmsca/27600/27695u.tif Original url: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2011648850/
- Rights
- Public domain, as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Tweens profiles and older: its subjects are known and suit older children. How works are placed
About this work
Title: "A mother! How odd!" / Gordon Ross.
Abstract/medium: 1 photomechanical print : offset, color.
The illustration contrasts two lifestyles and values of the society of the time:
The mother (center): A simply dressed young woman sits in a rocking chair, lovingly breastfeeding her newborn baby, surrounded by a warm, golden aura. She represents traditional and natural motherhood.
The high-society women (around): A group of extravagant aristocrats, dressed in the elaborate fashions of the time (enormous hats, feathers, coats with exotic motifs). They observe the mother with binoculars and gestures of disdain or bewilderment.
The "pets" or substitutes: Instead of caring for children, these women carry affectionate substitutes or extravagant items: One holds a rag doll, another carries a lapdog, and the other carries a small monkey dressed in a tuxedo and top hat.
The illustration ironically criticizes the upper classes of the Gilded Age/Edwardian Era, suggesting that high society considered royal motherhood unusual or old-fashioned compared to adopting extravagances and luxury pets.
