A Mother's Love. John Richard Clayton. 1862. Etching in black ink on white paper. 23/8 x 31/2 inches (6 x 8.9 cm). Private collection. Image and caption material kindly provided by Dennis T. Lanigan. Additional text and formatting by Jacqueline Banerjee. You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one. [Click on the image to enlarge it.]
This etching appears as an illustration for James Montgomery's "A Mother's Love" in a beautifully produced anthology of English verse. The poem begins,
A MOTHER'S Love, how sweet the name!
What is a mother's love? —
A noble, pure, and tender flame,
Enkindled from above;
To bless a heart of earthly mould.
The warmest love that can grow cold:
This is a Mother's Love! [15]
Clayton's composition captures the warmth of the family group, the mother and her two small daughters as well, all focused on the new baby. The elder daughter holds the baby carefully, as all look intently at the infant. In a lovely detail, the baby grasps the elder girl's bead necklace in one chubby hand. Hands as well as eyes link the little group. Even the rucked-up bed linen seems to gather round.
Bibliography
Junior Etching Club, London. Passages from Modern English Poets. London: Day & Son, 1862.
Created 12 January 2022