In the set of these two paintings, the female tortoise in her family way has been delightfully depicted. The mother-to-be like any other forbearer is going through mixed emotions. She is happy at the same time scared, sad, and excited. The mother tortoise has instinctively started protecting her unborn offspring and has curtailed many activities that would put them at risk. The tortoises, unlike other animals, show no outward physical signs of being pregnant. They don’t go into heat. The female tortoise may lay between 2-12 eggs, but species matters and some can lay up to 40 or more over several clutches. When a tortoise lays eggs, it starts to dig hole in the ground, and it’s essential to have soft earth in order to do so, else it can retain the eggs, which can pose a severe risk. With the artworks, a thought-provoking message is also lifted up, that the mother tortoise is shown in aggression. She’s feeling a bit cranky and protective. A mother tortoise generally sticks around the clutch for a while and covers them with dirt; she may appear to guard it but won’t stay alone. Earth colours are used in the paintings to show the warmth of love and care. In the painting, the composition is characterized by a predominance of curling, scroll-shaped tendrils, or winding curves, also called volutes, S-scrolls, or C-scrolls.
