A tender portrait of a young mother and child wrapped snugly to her heart using a carrying cloth is finely portrayed by Mazli Mat Som. The beauty's soft, warm eyes and tender smile is remarkably expressed in this image, complemented by tranquil blue hues in the background. Rendered with naturalism, the mother and child are composed with the medium of pastel applied finely to create a sense of solidity, reflecting everlasting maternal love through skilful rendering of anatomy and colours. Mazli Mat Som, who succeeded Dato' Hoessein Enas to helm the Angkatan Pelukis SeMalaysia (previously SeMenanjung), is best known for his two iconic works in the collection of the National Art Gallery: Menanti Nelayan (1961) and Yati (Noriati, 1964). As a protégé of Dato' Hoessein, he upheld and promoted the best figurative traditions but died five years before his mentor. Among those active during his time were Idris Salam, Mohd Sallehuddin, Sabtu Mohd Yusof and his wife Hamidah Suhaimi, who painted similarly well in the figurative tradition. In his second outing in the Henry Butcher Art Auction on Nov 3, 2019, his Malay Boy (1970) raised a premium of a record RM38,080.