A young child in a white garment sits on a woman's lap, her small hand gently pressed against the woman's cheek. The woman, dressed in a patterned gown with red and blue floral marks, closes her eyes and leans into the child's touch, her face calm and affectionate. Both figures are positioned close together, their bodies forming a single, intimate shape at the center of the composition.

Behind them, a pale blue pillow and a loosely painted greenish wall create a soft, domestic background. Light falls from the left, illuminating the child's fair hair and the woman's face, while casting gentle shadows along their arms and clothing. The brushwork is loose and visible, especially in the background and the woman's dress, where quick strokes and dabs of color suggest folds and patterns rather than describing them precisely.

The artist uses a palette dominated by cool greens, blues, and whites, punctuated by the warm tones of skin and the red accents on the dress. The composition is cropped closely, focusing attention on the embrace and the emotional exchange between mother and child. A rectangular patch of pale green fills the upper left corner, blending into the loosely painted wall behind the figures.

The lower right edge of the painting shows the woman’s skirt spreading outward, with the floral pattern becoming more abstract and the brushstrokes broader. The child’s legs cast a soft shadow across the woman’s lap, with subtle pink and blue tones used to model the skin. In the upper right background, a small framed picture or mirror is partially visible, rendered with quick, indistinct strokes. Mary Cassatt painted this work in 1890, as stated in the museum's record.