Pieter de Hooch, 'A Mother and Child with Its Head in Her Lap (Maternal Duty)', 1658-60

From Shelley Esaak's wonderful art blog, 'Shelley's Art History Blog'. She responds to the fact that the mother in the painting is actually delousing the child's hair: "Oh dear. The things we mothers are called upon to rectify. Isn't it a blessing that Mr. de Hooch never witnessed the millions of mothers who have tried to catch kid vomit in their bare hands? No amount of muted interior lighting could make that into an attractive painting."
Spoken like a true Mom.

Mother and Child (Cherries) by Lord Frederic Leighton, 186-65

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Artist Frederic Leighton demonstrates that he was truly a man of his times in the work Mother and Child (Cherries). In this painting, we see an example of a cozy, charming Victorian interior scene, complete with a beautiful young mother and her adorable child. The title was obviously inspired by the action of the little girl feeding ripe cherries to her reclining mother.

Both figures are seated on the floor, resting comfortably on an opulently hued Oriental carpet. Details, such as a vase of lilies and a golden screen, form the backdrop for this delightful drama. Everything in the painting is equally visually enchanting, from the flower petals to the glossy red cherries to the sophisticated sheen of the woman's gown. Here again, Lord Leighton displays his prowess as an artist.

It is worth noting that the sense of sentimentality that was so much a part of Victorian art and life is captured in this splendid image. F. G. Stephens made this revealing comment about Mother and Child (Cherries): "Another picture, a very charming one indeed, illustrates what is the most popular side of Mr. Leighton's art.""

Why this is here.

I've written a screenplay in which a painting figures prominently. The criteria for the painting?
The events in the screenplay take place before World War 1, around 1905, 1906, so it needed to be a painting from that era.
Originally, I assumed it couldn't be a Vermeer, although I love Vermeers. After 'Girl With A Pearl Earring', I thought he might be over-exposed. I am still thinking about it.
The painting should be of a maternal or familial theme, lending itself to childhood memories.
Most important, the painting needs to be well-respected now, valuable now. This reinforces the protagonist's victory over those who would take it away.

My first choice: Mary Cassatt's 'The Child's Bath', 1893:






















and that's the one I had in mind during the writing.
This website is the answer to the following question: what if a studio reader just doesn't 'get' the painting?
I'm going to offer alternatives. I'm going to do the research so you don't have to.

You don't like Cassatt?

I'm not married to the painting. I'm not going to fight about it. I'm a writer, not an art critic; the story's the thing for me. Alternatives are above.