Artwork Information

Berthe Morisot’s 'Le bearceau' (The Cradle) may have influenced this intimate scene, but whereas Morisot’s mother gazes, head in hand, at her sleeping infant beneath its protective veil, here the smaller child is sitting up, possibly vying with the older one for their mother’s attention. She sits, head bowed, concentrating on her sewing. When not teaching groups of students Frances Hodgkins was often short on funds, which could explain the limited colour range in this work.