Indian Woman and Child c. 1928 - 1930

Henrietta Mary Shore made this print, Indian Woman and Child, using lithography. The beautiful gradations of tone are built up through layers of hatching which give a real sense of volume to the figures. The artist emphasizes this with her tight crop, pushing the figures forward, filling the frame, making them monumental. Look at the way the child’s rounded form contrasts with the angular planes of the mother’s face, but also how their lines echo each other. The slight turn of the mother’s head is mirrored in the turn of the child’s body. The sling cradling the child is almost like an extension of the mother’s body. They are totally connected. Shore was part of a circle of West Coast modernists, including Edward Weston. Like his photographs, Shore’s print is interested in form, and how a few simple lines can be used to create a powerful image.