The Joys of Motherhood 1754

Jean-Honoré Fragonard probably painted this celebration of motherhood sometime in the 1760s. During this period, there was a growing interest in the domestic sphere, particularly the role of women as mothers, and a shift towards sentimentalism. Here, the rosy-cheeked mother tenderly attends to her child, who lies in a flower-filled cart, while another child nestles at her side. Yet Fragonard was a man painting a woman's world, reinforcing prevailing social norms. The image constructs motherhood as a joyful and natural vocation. It idealizes the mother as nurturing and selfless, but also domestic. It is an intimate, emotional scene, but one viewed through the lens of societal expectations. While Fragonard’s painting ostensibly celebrates motherhood, it also confines women to a specific, idealized role which continues to shape societal expectations, even today.