Fanny, the new "American" baby Mary and I, quite filled the little room and her foot rocking the cradle, her hands stitching, stitching.
Date1916
Artist
Arthur E. Becher
(American artist and illustrator, 1877–1960)
Illustration Citation"My Mother and I," Anonymous, in The Ladies' Home Journal, October 1916
MediumWatercolor, graphite, and gouache on illustration board
Dimensions22 1/2 × 28 1/2 in. (57.2 × 72.4 cm)
Credit LineGift of the estate of Frieda Becher, 1971
Object number1971-116
On View
Not on viewClassificationsDRAWING
Label TextThe psychological separation of a mother and daughter is highlighted by their placement on opposite sides of the block that carried this story's title. The writer faces the conflicts of becoming a second-generation American while preserving her love and respect for her mother, whose old world ways are a constant frustration. An insert by former President Theodore Roosevelt endorsed the story as "profoundly touching."
