Maternité au chien (recto); Sans titre (mère et enfant) (verso)

The present work belongs to a series of works on paper depicting mothers and children by Julio González, often titled Maternité, executed between circa 1904 and 1914, with the earliest dated examples appearing in 1906. These figures, frequently set within urban or rural environments, and despite their their tender and maternal nature, are often imbued with a sense of melancholy and bear comparison with the figures of Picasso’s Blue Period. While recalling Picasso in subject and sentiment, González’s treatment is quieter and more restrained, privileging stillness over dramatic expressivity. This quiet austerity reflects a broader engagement with themes of poverty and maternal resilience in early twentieth-century Paris.

The recently rediscovered verso of the present sheet is previously unpublished.