Birth of a child

Rendered in an unassuming and non-dramatic fashion, childbirth becomes a quiet mystery. Rather than underlining pain and emotional expression, the artist evokes an aura of engrossment and almost sacred silence. A restricted colour palette and compact composition heighten the feeling of enclosure, transporting the scene beyond time, to a place isolated from the outside world. Predominant here are subdued ochres, warm reds and earthy browns which give the portrayal a homogenous and almost monochromatic nature. The colours do not represent a clear-cut division of planes but are used to gently outline the figures, creating the impression of their organic unity with the surroundings.

This depiction of childbirth is not exclusively interpretable as a genre scene. It is a study of the beginning of life, communality and care, the fragility and continuance of existence, topics frequently explored by the artist in the 1930s, a period that witnessed his growing interest in existential themes presented in a synthetic, subdued and deeply humane way.