December 20 - Day 1 of Yule: Mother’s Night

This post is part of my 12 Days of Yule series, inspired by the seasonal framework outlined by  Pagan Grimoire. Mother’s Night traditionally centers on continuity, lineage, and care at the turning of the year. 

Pablo Picasso, 1905, Maternité (Mother and Child)

I used Mother's Night as a prompt phrase, and immediately thought of Maternité (1905) by Pablo Picasso.

I first saw this image in a prenatal class, and was astonished to learn it was by Picasso, whom I'd always associated with cubism (I had so much to learn!).

Rather than flat and angular, this was graceful, warm, intimate. To me it exemplified - and romanticized - new motherhood. The expression on Mother's face as she feeds her baby, the anonymous but chubby curve of Baby's cheek and hand, the use of pink in her shawl and the flower in her hair... she is a frame and a shield for Baby.

Maternité (1905), painted during Picasso’s Rose Period, opened up the world of art for me, and let me look at non-representational art with new eyes.

What image does Mother's Night hold for you?

What do you see when you look at Maternite?