Breakfast in Bed 1897

Mary Cassatt captures a tender scene with oil on canvas; a mother and child in bed. The intimate portrayal of the domestic sphere is heightened by the shared space of the bed, traditionally a place of rest and vulnerability. This scene echoes the Madonna and Child, a motif prevalent throughout art history. But here, the divine is replaced with the everyday. The child’s clutching hand, a gesture of comfort and security, is reminiscent of supplicants reaching for salvation in religious icons. Yet, in Cassatt’s painting, it symbolizes the unbreakable bond between mother and child. The act of nurturing, often depicted with a halo in earlier times, is here rendered with a simple cup of morning coffee. This mundane object elevates the everyday to a sacred ritual. This inversion and evolution of symbols speak to a collective memory, reshaping the narrative of maternal love within a modern context.