Motherhood and creativity: how artists with many children overcome difficulties

Contents:

• Zinaida Serebryakova
• Judith Leyster
• Elizabeth Vigee-Lebrun
• Barbara Hepworth
• Louise Bourgeois

Throughout history, art created by women has often remained in the shadows, and society considered their main task exclusively motherhood and raising children. Women were often denied access to education, and their achievements were often dismissed. Yet, there are many outstanding women who have achieved success in the arts while raising children. Let's meet five such talented artists and learn about the challenges they overcame on their path to motherhood.

Zinaida Serebryakova

Zinaida Serebryakova is considered a neoclassicist. She was a member of the "World of Art" society, which argued that the meaning of a work of art lies not in the object itself, but in the expression of the artist's individuality. The artist's work also shows the influence of Impressionism: Serebryakova was familiar with the works of Degas and depicted ballerinas, making it easy to recognize the source of her inspiration in these works. Zinaida Serebryakova married her cousin, a move that required considerable effort on their part, as they belonged to different faiths, neither of which supported unions between close relatives. Within seven years, she became the mother of four children: Evgeny, Alexander, Tatyana, and Ekaterina. Despite such a heavy workload, she did not abandon her creative work and continued to paint actively. The peak of her artistic activity came between 1914 and 1917, although her youngest daughter was born in 1913.

The artist's life underwent significant changes after the Revolution—she and her family were forced to leave St. Petersburg, a city where she had more chances to realize her creative potential and earn a living. In 1919, her husband died of typhus, leaving Zinaida Serebryakova alone, caring for four children.

The situation became so dire that she was forced to abandon oil paints and switch to charcoal and pencil. She captured the destroyed world in her work "House of Cards", where her children anxiously watch the cards that just stood confidently on the table, but are now flying in different directions.

In 1924, Zinaida Serebryakova went to Paris, seeking to improve her financial situation. She intended to return home soon, so she left her children in St. Petersburg. However, within a year it became clear that returning was impossible. Only three years later did she manage to take two of her children, Alexander and Ekaterina, with her. She would not see the rest of her children for another 36 years.

A life divided into two parts undoubtedly affected the artist's artistic work. After 1920, her works became, if not gloomy, then clearly less bright, although she continued to depict her children. In the portraits created before the loss of her husband and her forced move abroad, one could feel happiness and admiration for the children. However, in subsequent works, these feelings noticeably gave way to anxious moods.

Judith Leyster

This 17th-century Dutch artist is believed to have studied with Frans Hals and Pieter Frans de Grebber. She achieved considerable success, establishing herself in a male-dominated society. In 1633, she became a member of the Guild of St. Luke, receiving the title of "master painter" (meesterschilder). This was not only a sign of recognition but also provided her with the opportunity to open her own studio and accept students. She became one of only two women who managed to achieve such a high status.

Three years later, she tied the knot She married the artist Jan Miense Molenaer and became the mother of five children. This event effectively marked the end of her artistic career, as very little information is known about her artistic achievements after the birth of her first child. It is noteworthy that until 1893, many of her works were erroneously attributed to Frans Hals or her husband.

Elisabeth Vigée-Le Brun

The French artist, known as Marie Antoinette's favorite portraitist, began her artistic career at the age of just 15 and demonstrated incredible productivity. Her talent was quickly recognized, and her marriage to the artist and art dealer Jean-Baptiste-Pierre Le Brun opened the doors to Versailles for her. In this palace, she became close to Marie Antoinette; both women had experienced the loss of their children and already had one child at the time.

The French Revolution forced the artist to leave Paris, taking only her daughter Julie with her, while her husband, who did not share her royalist views, remained. Seeking refuge, she traveled through Italy, Vienna, Holland, and even visited Russia, where she painted portraits of members of the aristocracy. However, her works did not please Catherine the Great; the empress considered the children in the paintings to be depicted in "indecent" poses and dressed too frivolously for the time. In 1793, the artist received a letter from her brother, Étienne Vigée.

From Brussels, he sent her letters asking her to become the guardian of his daughters. He found himself in a difficult situation, being on the run and under political persecution, which deprived him of the opportunity to take care of his family. As a result, for twelve years, Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun took on the responsibilities of a mother of many children, providing for and raising not only her own daughter, but also her nieces.

This artist was distinguished not only by her high productivity, but also by her courage: her works often became the cause of scandals, which undoubtedly contributed to the growth of her fame.

Once, the artist depicted Marie Antoinette in a silk dress, which looked too revealing for its time. The portrait of her daughter Julie caused a real shock among viewers: in it, the girl smiled, revealing her teeth, which was considered an unacceptable violation of established traditions. In general, the artist often turned to the image of her daughter in her works and repeatedly admitted that her happiness was inextricably linked with her, hoping to preserve this joy throughout her life.

Barbara Hepworth

One of the central figures in the world of abstract sculpture is a woman born in 1903. In 1921, she managed to get a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Art (RCA), despite the fact that at that time sculpture remained an almost exclusively male field.

In her first marriage to sculptor John Skeaping, she became the mother of a son, and her second union with abstract artist Ben Nicholson gave her triplets. This circumstance significantly affected her work schedule and environment - she had to work from home, surrounded by children. In her autobiography, she mentioned that she "chipped out time" between feedings, and often her art sessions took place at night.

Nevertheless, she did not express dissatisfaction and She shared memories of how her father would take her to a house by the sea every year, where she could paint at dawn, providing herself with everything she needed. "This became the foundation for my professional work and shaped my understanding that an artist's life should not be limited to household chores and children <…> – in fact, such a rich life can be filled if you devote time to work every day; even if it's just half an hour, images begin to develop in your mind."

Art experts note that the theme of pregnancy and the physical body is vividly represented in Barbara Hepworth's works. Her sculptures, with rounded contours, contain various cavities and openings, symbolizing a deep connection between the inner and the outer, as well as ideas of penetration and protection. Hepworth was a pioneer in the use of pure abstraction and developed the concept of hollow form.

Louise Bourgeois

A French artist and sculptor, she spent most of her career in the United States, where she emigrated with her husband, art critic Robert Goldwater. Her childhood was fraught with difficulties: her father cheated on her mother with a governess, and shortly afterward, her mother's death had a profound impact on Louise. This event led her to drop out of the Sorbonne, where she was studying mathematics, and decide to enroll in the École des Beaux-Arts.

In exile, the artist became the mother of three children in just three years. Recalling that period, she shared her thoughts: "I'm often asked about this, but I'm not inclined to go into detail: just surviving each day was a real challenge. It was quite something—raising three children and still trying to continue my work. Physically, it was incredibly demanding."

The artist was plagued by fears and insecurities; she admitted to feeling pressured by her family's expectations. She found a way to cope with these emotions through psychotherapy and her art, in which she openly discussed the influence of family on a person's life. For example, in the installation "Destruction of the Father" (1974), the focus was a sacrificial table strewn with body parts (in this case, pieces of real lamb purchased from a butcher shop). In this work, the artist explored the painful aspects of her relationship with her father.

In her artistic The experience of motherhood also clearly manifests itself in creativity. In a sculpture titled "The Good Mother," created in 2003, the focus is on a woman with threads attached to her nipples, coming from spools surrounding her.

Louise Bourgeois once remarked: “I have three main reference points… My parents… My personal life… And my children’s view of the world. All these elements are inextricably linked.”

The fates of these artists illustrate the diverse influence of motherhood on the creative process: for some, the birth of children can mean the end of professional activity, while for others it becomes a boundless source of inspiration.

Nevertheless, each of the artists found her own way to cope with this situation. Unfortunately, the era when combining motherhood and creative activity was practically impossible lasted far too long. This undoubtedly led to the fact that the world has lost many talented female artists.

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