Madonna and Child with Roses

Madonna and Child is both a universal and deeply personal statement about the beautiful and unique relationship between a mother and child in a manner that is both contemporary and sophisticated. The charcoal drawing was one of twelve works included in the Artist’s major solo exhibition at the Toledo Museum of Art, Leslie Adams: Drawn from Life, part of the Museum’s Fall Season of Portraiture. The Artist writes, the inspiration for Drawn from Life was simple - to tell my story of becoming an artist – in an autobiography told not on the pages of a book or in images on film, but on paper and canvas. Each work is a personal thank you note to the Museum, the artists in its collection, and to the people, places, and institutions in this city and beyond that have shaped my artistic career.” This drawing pays homage to her mother who always nourished and supported her artistic career. Based on actual photographs of the Artist as an infant, the drawing portrays her with her in the arms of her mother surrounded by roses, her mother’s favorite flower and an obvious symbol of maternal love. 

In honor of the Drawn from Life, Leslie produced a beautiful, limited edition print of Madonna and Child with Roses inspired by the larger charcoal drawing seen in Drawn from Life. The print reveals even more of the sensitive process of drawing so important to the Artist and returns the Artist to her roots as a printmaker. In 1989, Adams received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Printmaking from the University of Toledo where she studied with internationally renowned professor, Peter Elloian. 

Exhibitions