Friday, June 24, 2011

Henry Nelson O'Neil - Mother Depositing Her Child in the Foundling Hospital in Paris, c.1855-60



3 comments:

Hels said...

What a nightmare - presumably dumped by the father of the baby, impverished and afraid to tell her own parents.

Did you see those love tokens that mothers used to leave in the baby's bassinet when the babies were left at the orphage? Tiny and often not having any monetary value, the tokens break the viewer's heart.

Hannah said...

This painting will never lose its emotional appeal...every parent can understand what she must have gone through. I am really interested in your posts...found your site browsing pictures in google images.

Hermes said...

Thank you both. This is so sad. I remember seeing a photo of something similar in present day South Africa. Thanks Helen had forgotten about that.