"In Mother's Absence" Mead and Johnson Advertising Print Artist: Bernhard Pothast Size: Framed/Under Glass 12 1/4" x 9 1/2" Print Surface: Linen Frame: Black Wood shows wear front and back. Description: Bernhard Pothast was a Belgian-born Dutch painter. His subjects consisted of mothers with their children, using traditional Academic Realism to create portraits of motherhood. His peasant mothers, often shown instructing or caring for their young children are imbued with virtue and strength. Adept at both figure painting and still-life, he would place his charming groups in rustic interiors sparingly decorated with the family's humble possessions. Pothast used natural light to render his subjects, invigorating each scene with drama and evoking narrative through a sense of passing time. Today, Pothast is considered one of the finest genre painters of his period, and his paintings can be found in important private and public collections worldwide.