Mother and Child at the Beach
c. 1943
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
pen and blue ink on wove paper
Dimensions
overall: 19.8 x 25.8 cm (7 13/16 x 10 3/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Sally Michel Avery
Accession Number
2002.104.1.3
Art Historical Context
In the serene "Mother and Child at the" (c. 1943), American modernist Milton Avery captures a tender moment amid everyday life. Rendered in pen and blue ink on w paper, this intimate drawing measures just 19.8 x 25.8 cm, showcasing Avery's mastery of economical linework. The beach setting evokes a timeless respite, likely reflecting the artist's fascination with family and nature during the uncertainties of World War II. Avery (1885–1965), a pivotal figure in 20th-century American art bridged Impressionism and Abstract Expressionism with his simplified forms and poetic compositions. Though be...
About the Artist
Milton Avery
Milton Avery, born on March 7, 1885, in Altmar, New York, to a working-class family—his father a tanner—grew up in modest circumstances. After his family's move to the Hartford area of Connecticut in 1898, he took on various manual jobs, including as a mechanic, clerk, and construction worker, to support himself and relatives following family tragedies. His artistic path began around 1905 at the C...