Mother & Child

Alphonse Van Beurden (1854-1938)

Belgian

Date : XIXe siècle
Dimensions : 77 x 24,5 x 24,5 cm
Material : White Carrara marble
Signature : “ALPH. Van Beurden”

In Mother & Child, Belgian sculptor Alphonse Van Beurden captures a profoundly touching moment of maternal tenderness. A young mother holds her child close, the little one clinging to her in an intimate expression of dependency and affection. Her serene, loving expression, supportive posture, and the gently flowing lines of her gown all amplify the sculpture’s emotional depth. One hand steadies the child’s back while the other cradles his leg, creating a harmonious physical and emotional embrace sculpted in marble.

Carved from luminous white Carrara marble, Van Beurden’s technical mastery is evident in every detail: the delicate folds of fabric, the soft cascade of the mother’s hair, and the tender form of the child are rendered with exquisite precision. Yet it is the emotional honesty that distinguishes this piece—an unspoken dialogue of warmth, vulnerability, and protective care flows between the figures. The mother’s posture is protective yet relaxed, a visual embodiment of motherhood’s dual strength and softness.

This atmosphere of family intimacy resonates with Van Beurden’s earlier notable work Bain Forcé (1891), in which he explores childhood emotions—this time capturing resistance and playful energy. While Bain Forcé emphasizes spontaneity and movement, Mother & Child embodies refuge and stability. Together, these works highlight the sculptor’s remarkable ability to convey diverse emotional states through the medium of marble.

Though his style remains rooted in academic tradition, Mother & Child transcends formality to become a poetic ode to motherhood—celebrating everyday heroism and unconditional love. Van Beurden does more than carve the bodies: he carves the soul. Through compassionate modeling and subtle composition, he elevates a domestic scene into a timeless testament to human connection.