Object number2018.41
Baby Nursing
Date1926-1927
Artist
Tina Modotti
(Italian, active Mexico, 1896 - 1942)
printed by
Ava Vargas
(Mexican, born 1953)
CultureItalian, Mexican
MediumPlatinum print, printed 1993
DimensionsImage: 9 13/16 x 7 7/16 in. (24.9 x 18.9 cm)
Sheet: 11 1/8 x 8 7/8 in. (28.3 x 22.5 cm)
Sheet: 11 1/8 x 8 7/8 in. (28.3 x 22.5 cm)
Credit LineGift of James Curtis, class of 1984
On View
Not on viewPeriod20th c
Classification(s)
SignedOn verso, signed lower left corner in pencil: Ava Vargas
InscribedOn verso, by Ava Vargas lower left corner in pencil: 1/20 "
MarkingsOn verso, stamped lower right corner in black ink: [Fototeca symbol] Fototeca / del / INAH
BibliographyLombino, Mary-Kay. Shape of Light: Defining Photographs from the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center. Poughkeepsie, NY: Vassar College, 2019, p. 38 Vassar Exhibitions
Exhibition HistoryShape of Light: Defining Photographs from the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY, September 20 - December 15, 2019Label TextCare is often primarily associated with roles traditionally occupied by women, such as mothers, grandmothers, nannies, sisters, nurses, and babysitters. While Tina Modotti and Mary Cassatt depict mothers and children, Shawn Walker depicts care between siblings. Despite depicting traditional caregivers, these pieces welcome us into quiet moments of care, ones that are reserved for private spaces and may be perceived as taboo in public, or taken for granted.
Modotti, an Italian-born artist and photographer, was active in Mexico, where she photographed Indigenous life and culture, in the 1920s. In this piece, Modotti captures a mother breastfeeding her child. While this act of maternal care is ubiquitous, it is oftentimes discouraged (or even actively prohibited) in public spaces. Modotti makes us privy and emphasizes a tender act of care that is often private. Like Modotti, Cassatt acknowledges the moments of care we don’t usually see. In this piece, Cassatt highlights an intimate moment in which a mother cuts her child’s nails. While this act may seem mundane, Cassatt gives us a glimpse into the everyday tasks of caregivers and highlights an act of care that, while crucial to a child’s health and hygiene, may be overlooked. Another aspect of care that is often overlooked is the relationship between siblings. Oftentimes, caregiving extends beyond motherhood and involves other family members. In Walker’s photograph, a young girl protectively holds a smaller child.
DescriptionBlack and cream image of a woman holding a breastfeeding baby. The image is cropped so only the woman's right side from her shoulders to her hip is shown. She cradles the baby at an angle with her hands resting atop one another.
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