The artwork titled “Maternity” is a symbolic painting by Dorothea Tanning, created between 1946 and 1947. Executed in oil and falling under the Surrealism movement, this piece exhibits Tanning’s distinctive style and thematic exploration.
In the artwork, the viewer is presented with a desolate, desert-like landscape featuring two door frames that open to different scenes. Central to the painting is a figure of a woman, draped in pale clothing and cradling an infant, her gaze directed towards the viewer while standing on a tattered rug. Nearby, a peculiar, anthropomorphic creature with a human-like face emerges from the rug, adding an element of uncanny surrealism. The distant, ominous sky above enhances the enigmatic and dreamlike quality of the scene, all characteristic of Tanning’s exploration of the boundaries between reality and the subconscious.
