Portrait of My Mother by Philip Evergood

Portrait of My Mother

Philip Evergood · 1936

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“This powerful portrait of the artist's mother captures a raw, emotional intensity through its expressive brushwork and the sitter's unwavering gaze, reflecting the social realism of its era.”

ABOUT THIS WORK

In this striking portrait, a woman with a direct gaze confronts the viewer, her expression both weary and resolute. Philip Evergood painted his mother during a challenging period, and that sense of struggle is palpable in her posture and the intense focus of her eyes. The brushwork is deliberately raw and expressive, creating a textured surface that adds to the emotional weight of the piece. This approach, combining a gritty realism with a deeply personal subject, reflects the artist's engagement with social realism during the Great Depression. While the setting is spare, the woman's presence dominates the canvas, inviting a moment of quiet contemplation about resilience and the human spirit.

DETAILS
Artist
Philip Evergood
Date
1936
Location
Dallas Museum of Art
ART MOVEMENTS
LOOK CLOSER

What to Notice

Four details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

Portrait of My Mother
01

Observe the bold, almost crude lines that define her face and shoulders.

02

Notice the somber color palette, emphasizing shades of gray and muted earth tones.

03

See how her clasped hands convey a sense of tension or quiet strength.

04

Look at her direct, unsmiling gaze, which seems to pierce through the canvas.

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THE ARTIST

Philip Evergood

1901–1973 · United States

Philip Evergood, a social realist painter, captured the grit and vitality of American life with a unique blend of reality and fantasy, often with a cartoonish quality.

Read Evergood’s full story
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EXPLORE THE MOVEMENT

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Beyond Evergood and Social Realism: works from the same years.

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