The present bronze is an example of the highly finished and exquisitely executed bronzes Carrier-Belleuse was producing in the 1850's and 60's. The subject matter is closely related to a group of intimate 'genre' sculptures Carrier was working on during this period, of which the most celebrated are his 1850 Venus and Cupid and scandalous 1867 Entre deux Amours. Here however, the sculptor has abandoned the romanticism of Venus and Love, and has chosen to depict maternal affection, as he did in his 1869 Il Baccio. The group is of a simple triangular form, the geometrical balance reflects the pure and stable relationship. This arrangement is enlivened by sharply observed and decorative details, such as the embroidery on the mother's dress and her intricate hair fillet, and also by the ornate ormolu base.