Although Elizabeth Nourse lived in France for her entire professional life, she remains one of Cincinnati’s most cherished artists. Nourse honed her abilities at Cincinnati’s McMicken School of Design and the Académie
Julian in Paris, preparing her for a career marked by international accolades. In 1888 she submitted ""La Mère"" to the jury of the Salon, the prestigious annual exhibition of contemporary art
in Paris. The work, Nourse's first submission to the Salon, was not only accepted but was hung “on the line,” the location reserved for the most highly esteemed pictures. Many such honors followed, culminating with
the purchase of one of her paintings by the French government in 1910.
Nourse’s paintings responded to a longing for simplicity in the face of widespread industrialization. This image of a lower-class woman, her face in shadow, who has just finished nursing her baby, suggests absolute
peace and quietude. The picture’s success is also predicated on the appealing combinations of lavenders, mauves, and blues.
尽管伊丽莎白·诺斯的整个职业生涯都生活在法国，但她仍然是辛辛那提最受珍视的艺术家之一。诺斯在辛辛那提的麦克米肯设计学院和巴黎的朱利安学院磨练她的技能，为她享誉国际的职业生涯做好了准备。1888年，她将《母亲》交给巴黎“沙龙”展览会（the Salon）的评审团。“沙龙”是巴黎享有盛誉的年度当代艺术展。这是诺斯第一次提交作品给“沙龙”，它不仅被接受了，而且被放在为最受尊敬的画作预留的位置。此后，这样的荣誉始终伴随着她，并在1910年达到顶点——她的一幅画在那一年被法国政府买下。
诺斯的绘画以一种对质朴的渴望回应了工业化的普及。这是个下层社会妇女的形象，她的脸在阴影中，凝视着孩子，显出一种绝对的宁静。这张画的成功还有赖于薰衣草色、淡紫色和蓝色的迷人组合。
