Reclining Mother and Child 1906

Paula Modersohn-Becker made this drawing, Reclining Mother and Child, with what looks like charcoal, at a time when she was working out how to make something new in art. There's a tenderness in the mark-making, a softness that comes from the powdery quality of the charcoal. It’s not about precision; it’s more about feeling. Look at how the lines suggest the weight of the mother's body, the curve of her back, and the way the child snuggles into her. You can almost feel the texture of their skin. See how the shading is kind of smudged, especially around the mother's face? It's like she’s trying to capture a fleeting moment, an intimate connection. Modersohn-Becker was part of an exciting moment in art, around the turn of the century, when artists were pushing boundaries. You can see echoes of other artists like Kathe Kollwitz, who was also exploring themes of motherhood and the human condition with a similar kind of raw honesty. For me, this drawing is a beautiful example of how art can be both personal and universal, capturing the essence of human experience in a way that feels timeless.