- Artist
- Frank Holl 1845–1888
- Medium
- Oil paint on canvas
- Dimensions
- Support: 343 × 445 mm
frame: 670 × 770 × 140 mm - Collection
- Tate
- Acquisition
- Presented by Sir Henry Tate 1894
- Reference
- N01536
Online caption
Child death was a common occurrence in Victorian society. In Hush a mother devotedly watches over her sick baby, her anxiety mirrored in the face of an older child. Hushed, its companion piece, shows the baby’s death. The mother covers her face with her hand in a gesture of grief, while her other child appears bewildered. Frank Holl confronts his subject directly, without sentimentality. The sombre colouring and the strong contrasts between light and shade heighten the grim mood.
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