MOTHER’S LITTLE HELPER

Of course, it's Happy Mother's Day and not Sad Mother's Day, but I just remembered this beautiful cartoon (see above) by Denys Wortman (1887–1958), included in Portrait of the City in the 1930s and 1940s by James Sturm and Brandon Easton. The entire collection, published by Drawn & Quarterly, demonstrates the artist's unique ability to capture all the minutiae, dramas, and social strata of New York life during those particular decades of social and political upheaval.

The caption for this cartoon, "Don't cry, be little, and I'll be your mother," (01. 16. 33)  is clearly spoken by the onlooking child (broom in hand), offering comfort to her weary mother, her head rested against the kitchen table from sheer exhaustion. This moving and tender image speaks of love, resilience, and role reversals in hard times. Wortman had a remarkable gift for capturing the quiet, everyday struggles of working-class New Yorkers with both humour and empathy, and this is undoubtedly one of the finest examples of his unique humanity expressed through his art.

It’s also a reminder that Mother’s Day, while often seen as a celebration, can also be bittersweet. Many mothers (and fathers) carry unseen burdens, and sometimes, it’s the children who instinctively step in to offer help, sensing their parent's heaviness. Wortman’s talent for illustrating these raw, human moments makes his work truly timeless.