Exploring maternity through the work of artists from prehistory to the present day, ‘Acts of Creation’ addresses the abiding mother-shaped hole in art history. Long taboo, lived experiences of motherhood – and all that accompanies it – are now the subject of urgent discussion. This title delves into the joys and heartaches, mess, myths and mishaps of motherhood through over 150 artworks, from ancient goddess artifacts to contemporary interpretations of pregnancy in the present. While the Madonna and Child archetype has dominated Western art, we rarely encounter art about real motherhood, in all its raw, unfiltered complexity. Renowned author and curator Hettie Judah examines how shifting ideals of motherhood have been constructed and promoted through visual culture. Moving into the 20th and 21st centuries, it also looks at how women artists have worked to subvert these ideals and reclaim the narrative.