The Internet demands answer on if this is the clients mother or lover? This single panel cartoon came across our social media feed and we were just so charmed by it. But we had one vexing question: is the woman in his locket his mother or girlfriend? On one hand the woman appears old and worn, the way a tough mother would appear. On the other hand, though, the man looks a little aged, so could it be his lady? Either way a portrait tattoo is an incredible tribute to someone special.

The illustrator is Chad Lewis who says that the artwork was inspired by Saturday Evening Post covers. What’s his insight into the mystery woman? He wrote on his website. “Our most recent project for Professor Goldsmith’s character design class was a single panel cartoon and I settled on a bit about tattooing loved ones. Right now the main question is, Is that mom or girlfriend?” Damn you Chad Lewis!

Do you like mermaid tattoos? Check out our stunning gallery here.