Mother and Child

This tender moment between a mother and her child is characteristic of Kate Greenaway’s idealized images of childhood. Working in the late 1800s, Greenaway depicted clothing vaguely inspired by the fashion of the early 1800s, suggesting that the image was from a moment in an idealized past when things were simpler and happier. Greenaway was one of the most successful female illustrators of her time. Her illustrations were used not only in children’s books but also in a variety of consumer products, including calendars, address books, plates, and textiles, and even influenced children’s fashion.