Depictions of motherhood are ever present in Western art, yet are rarely questioned or challenged. Perhaps we may shy away from a subject that could be seen as sentimental or overly associated with idealistic constructs of femininity, nurture, and care. Whether we are mothers ourselves or we bring--or nurture--life in a wider sense, we all have some understanding of motherhood. We are all born of a woman's body. We are formed from the messy, challenging, self-denying, and transformative experiences of motherhood.

Giving birth to their creations, artists have represented this vital and complex subject in a variety of ways, offering insight into what motherhood might mean--its joys and challenges--and seeking to articulate its unspoken aspects. This beautiful gift book delves into the subject of motherhood as seen through the eyes of artists--including Louise Bourgeois, Frida Kahlo, Dorothea Tanning, Lucian Freud, David Hockney, Eileen Agar, and René Magritte--providing a fresh insight into maternity as a subject in art history and revealing the ways in which it has been confronted and reimagined in the last 150 years. Featuring 50 color artworks in a variety of media, this book is a celebration of motherhood in all its complexity.