Vintage 20th Century Mother Holding Child Oil on Masonite Painting. Depicts a woman in orthodox Christian garb holding a swaddled child in an old-fashioned room. Unsigned. 

Overall Size: 15 x 13 in. 

Sight Size: 9 1/2 x 7 3/4 in. 

Although it is difficult to pinpoint when this particular piece was painted, and the frame and board show signs of age and wear, it can be assumed that it was painted in the 20th Century for several reasons. One, Masonite was not patented until 1924, first created in Laurel, Mississippi by William H. Mason, a protégé of Thomas Edison. There were similar substances that had appeared in England as early as 1898, formed by hot-pressing waste paper to create a sort of hardboard, but it did not become widely used by artists until the patented item appeared. Secondly, the woman in the painting appears to be someone in an orthodox Christian household, such as the Quakers, Shakers, or Pentecostals, who still use water basins and candelabras instead of modern conveniences. However, her style of dress indicates modern stitching, and her hair is uncovered, which was not generally accepted among more orthodox religious sects until the 1960s. Therefore, it can be assumed the piece was done some time in the last half of the 20th Century, and the frame and board shows signs of wear from being in a home less air-controlled than most equipped with air conditioning. 

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