Gifts for a mother-in-law: 12 artworks she will actually hang
Flowers by Van Gogh, Renoir and Hokusai, gardens by Morisot, and her own dog or cat painted like a Manet: twelve safe and lovely choices for the woman who is hardest to buy for.
Buying for a mother-in-law means walking a fine line: personal but not too personal, beautiful but not too bold, and above all something she will actually want on her wall.
Flowers and gardens almost never fail, and these twelve masterworks are among the loveliest ever painted. Two of them are the starting points of Fable’s pet portrait styles, for the mother-in-law whose dog or cat is the real centre of the house: send a photo and see a free preview first.
1. Woman in a Garden
Berthe Morisot, Woman in a Garden, 1882–83. Oil on canvas. Art Institute of Chicago.
Berthe Morisot was a founding member of the Impressionists and the painter of private, everyday moments. Her woman in a garden, from 1882 to 1883, is all fresh greens and quiet.
2. A Young Girl with Daisies
Auguste Renoir, A Young Girl with Daisies, 1889. Oil on canvas. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Renoir’s girl with daisies, painted in 1889, sits in a field with a handful of flowers. Soft, warm and impossible to dislike.
For the mother-in-law with granddaughters.
3. Chrysanthemums
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Chrysanthemums, 1881–82. Oil on canvas. Art Institute of Chicago.
Renoir painted this vase of chrysanthemums around 1881 with quick, glowing strokes. Autumn flowers, warm as a fire.
4. Oleanders
Vincent van Gogh, Oleanders, 1888. Oil on canvas. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Van Gogh painted pink oleanders in a jug in Arles in 1888, with a copy of Zola’s La Joie de vivre on the table. The joy of living, in a bunch of flowers.
5. Peacock and Peonies (Kujaku ni botan)
Utagawa Hiroshige, Peacock and Peonies (Kujaku ni botan), 1830s. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Hiroshige’s peacock among peonies combines the two most splendid symbols of Japanese bird and flower prints: beauty and good fortune.
6. Hydrangea and Swallow
Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾 北斎, Hydrangea and Swallow, c. 1833/34. Color woodblock print; oban. Art Institute of Chicago.
From Hokusai’s series of large flowers, made in the 1830s: a swallow darting past a hydrangea in full bloom. Fresh and graphic, with a modern feel.
7. Chrysanthemum and Horsefly
Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾 北斎, Chrysanthemum and Horsefly, c. 1831–33. Color woodblock print, oban. Art Institute of Chicago.
Another Hokusai large flower: a chrysanthemum, Japan’s imperial flower, with a tiny horsefly hovering nearby. It pairs perfectly with the hydrangea.
8. Kingfisher and Chinese Bellflowers
Utagawa Hiroshige, Kingfisher and Chinese Bellflowers, early or mid-1830s. Color woodblock print. Cleveland Museum of Art.
Hiroshige’s kingfisher flashes blue above violet bellflowers. Small, delicate and perfect for a guest bedroom.
9. The Little White Sofa
James Abbott McNeill Whistler, The Little White Sofa, c. 1883-1884. Oil on wood panel. Harvard Art Museums.
Whistler painted two women resting on a little white sofa in the early 1880s, all pale light and calm. It suits a mother-in-law with a taste for quiet elegance.
10. Young Lady in 1866
Edouard Manet, Young Lady in 1866, 1866. Oil on canvas. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Manet painted his favourite model, Victorine Meurent, in a pink dressing gown with a parrot. It is witty, fashionable and full of soft pinks and greys.
11. A King Charles Spaniel
Édouard Manet, A King Charles Spaniel, c. 1866. Oil on canvas. National Gallery of Art, Washington.
Manet’s little spaniel on a red cushion is the masterwork behind one of Fable’s pet styles. If her dog is the love of her life, this is the gift.
Best photo: her dog sitting up, looking at the camera.
Create your portrait in this style
12. Head of a White Angora Kitten
Henriëtte Ronner-Knip, Head of a White Angora Kitten, 1892. Oil on canvas.
Henriëtte Ronner-Knip was the most celebrated cat painter of her century, and her white Angora kitten is pure softness. The style built from it paints a cat from your photo.
Best photo: a close up of the cat’s face, eyes open.
Create your portrait in this style
When in doubt, give flowers that never wilt. And if she talks about her dog or cat more than anything else, a portrait of them will win her heart for good.
Questions
What is a good gift for a mother-in-law?
Something beautiful and easy to love: a print of a famous flower or garden painting, or a portrait of her pet made from a photo.
Is a pet portrait a good gift for a mother-in-law?
Yes, if she adores her pet. Choose a classic style such as Manet’s King Charles Spaniel, and use a clear photo, which you may need to ask your partner for.
What size print should I give?
A medium print, around 30 by 40 cm, is easy to place on a wall or a shelf without asking her to rearrange a room.