This informal study of the relationship between a mother and her baby makes a refreshing change from the sentimental interpretations of such subjects favoured by many contemporary Victorian artists. The baby is clearly
fascinated by his mother's fan which is held teasingly above him. Orchardson based the scene on his own family life, using his wife, Ellen, and son Gordon, as models. The impression of spontaneity was, in fact, the
result of detailed planning through preparatory drawings, and Orchardson's balanced composition reflected the influence of the work of the Japanese printmaker Utamaro. Degas and Sickert were among the painting's enthusiastic
admirers when it was exhibited at the Grosvenor Gallery, London, in 1886.
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