Annie Henrie Nader: MOTHER'S LULLABY

With artist's permission

THE STORY:
This painting shows a mother holding her baby while angels gather round.

THE ANALYSIS:
In a nutshell: this is no starry-eyed mother crooning over her baby. This is a strong and determined woman summoning the power of her mothers and other women to guard her precious child.

The mother reminds us of Mary because of her golden halo and the blue robes she is wearing. I like that comparison both ways: that Mary was a loving mortal mother who worried about her child and protected him, and that all mothers can look to Mary's example of nurturing, loving, and obeying the Lord.

The vulnerability of the infant is emphasized by her bare skin and slumber, sheltered within her mother's robe. The mother's fixed eyes look into the distance with determination rather than dreaminess, showing a mother's strength and faith. Her eyes are the only open ones in this painting, and that feels symbolic to me of a mother's discernment regarding her children.

The angels cluster around the mother and child from above, close enough to touch, although the mother doesn't seem to notice them. To me they represent mothers and grandmothers watching over their descendants from heaven. Some of the angels watch the mother instead of the child. This painting really captures the sense of eternal families and endless love from the heavens.

The textures in this painting are just gorgeous--thick and real. To me, the use of texture makes this painting feel even more real and less like a lovely idea. The thick abstraction at the bottom evokes this world: messy, tumultuous, and blurred, contrasting with the beauty and clarity of the heavens.

PERSONAL IMPACT:
This painting illustrates a feeling I have experienced multiple times as a mother: that as much as I love my children, I cannot protect them from everything, but that the Lord sends others--angels in heaven and on earth--to watch over them.

It also reminds me that our mothers will eagerly greet us on the other side of the veil, and they will know us and love us still.