Motherhood is Beautiful and Sad
A look at Paula Modersohn-Becker’s life and her paintings of pregnancy, motherhood, and children
Artworks that feature vulnerable women as subjects resonate with me the most. I somehow always find myself returning to the look at Paula Modersohn-Becker’s work. Learning more about her own personal life not only heightened my interest, but it also made her work even more emotionally compelling. In art at times, we are forced to separate the art from the artist. Whether it’s because the artist has a controversial background, the artist themself tells their audience to do so, or the art cannot truly be understood with the artist in mind. Modersohn-Becker’s work most notably reflects herself and she is meant to be on your mind while viewing her work. There is no escape, no hiding, what you see in front is exact. It’s raw, unfiltered, and intimate. No matter what subjects she used, Modersohn-Becker always incorporates herself somehow. Modersohn-Becker’s ability to paint women and children in such a delicate manner makes herself and her work equally as profound. By examining her works: “Self Portrait, Age 30, Wedding day (1906) and Kneeling Mother with Child at Her Breast” (1906) their contexts and analysis support Modersohn-Becker as the epitome of expressionist art.
