Sigmund Freud and his mother Amalia

What it is

This is a sepia-toned studio photograph showing Sigmund Freud, aged about 36, standing beside his seated mother, Amalia Freud.

Why it matters

The photograph captures Freud as a young professional, around the time his theories about the mind and family relationships were beginning to take shape. Freud later developed influential ideas about the bond between mothers and sons, making this image of him with his own mother a useful point for students to connect his personal life with his theories.

Look closer

• What does the formal pose and setting of the photograph suggest about how families presented themselves at the time?
• Why might this image be of particular interest given Freud's later theories about mothers and sons?
• What can and can't a single posed photograph tell us about a real relationship?