Chaim Gross — Study for Mother and Daughter (1949)

Chaim Gross, Study for Mother and Daughter (1949)

Date: 1949
Medium: Pen and Ink
Dimensions: 11 x 14 in.
Signature: right bottom " Chaim Gross"

This intimate pen-and-ink drawing depicts a playful vertical composition of a mother supporting her child, rendered with Chaim Gross’s signature continuous-line technique. The figures—full, expressive, and rhythmically balanced—illustrate Gross’s deep interest in familial relationships and the emotional warmth of everyday human interaction. Created in 1949, this study belongs to Gross’s postwar period, when he explored themes of motherhood, protection, and physical connection with particular tenderness.

The work’s stacked arrangement echoes Gross’s sculptural sensibilities, fusing drawing and sculpture through contour, gesture, and implied movement. Preserved in the VLAF – Velvet Foundation for the Arts Collection, it contributes to a broader understanding of Gross’s figurative vocabulary during this period.