In 1952, Charles White's status as one of the US's most important emerging artists was cemented by his inclusion in American Water Colors Drawings and Prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This was a "National Competitive Exhibition" in which White was represented by his drawing The Mother. Other artists selected for the exhibition included Reginald Marsh, Walter Feldman, Karl Schrag, and Richard Koppe. The work was reproduced on page 60 of this catalogue. White was resident in New York at the time of the exhibition and in this catalogue, The Mother was offered for sale for $200.

For his inclusion in the exhibition, White was awarded a prize of $500, along with 17 other artists. The prize money totaled $9000.