Susan Comforting the Baby 1881

Mary Cassatt painted "Susan Comforting the Baby" with oil on canvas; it features the tender embrace of a mother, Susan, her face close to her child. The intimate gesture evokes the Madonna and Child, a ubiquitous theme in Renaissance art. The Madonna’s protective embrace is seen across cultures, like the Egyptian Isis nursing Horus. These images, echoing through time, tap into our collective memory, evoking safety and unconditional love. Yet, here, the baby, instead of looking at its mother, turns to the viewer, hand raised. This pose can be traced back to ancient gestures of oration. How curious, the way this maternal image, comforting and familiar, is disrupted. It is as if the child is already stepping out into the world, acknowledging us. Such imagery reminds us of our own cyclical journey of growth, challenging our notions of what we feel we know.