How are you?
On every Thursday, I am
introducing the stories about various artists and their paintings with the
title “Interesting Art Stories”.
The 9th story for this week is
"Whistler's Mother" by an American painter, James McNeill Whistler.
Portrait of the Painter
Best known as
“Whistler's Mother”, “Arrangement in Grey and Black No.1” is an oil painting on
canvas by American-born painter James McNeill Whistler in 1871. It is one of
the most famous paintings by American artists outside the United States. The
model in this painting, which measures 1,443 mm × 1,624 mm, is Whistler's
mother, “Anna McNeill Whistler,” and the frame was designed by Whistler
himself. Currently, the painting is owned by the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, France,
after having been bought by the French government in 1891. It has been also called
as “an American icon" or "a Victorian Mona Lisa".
Anna Whistler
Anna Whistler became
the model for this painting while living with her son at Cheyne Walk, Chelsea in
London, England. It cannot be verified,
but there are some anecdotes about this painting. One of them is that Anna
Whistler was modeled as a replacement for another model her son couldn't make the
appointment. Another one is that Whistler originally tried to draw the model standing up, but
because his mother's health was not good, it was impossible to pose standing for
a long time, hence he drew the painting of a sitting position.
This painting was
exhibited at the 104th Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Art in London in
1872. Although Whistler's etching work, “Old Putney Bridge” was exhibited in
the exhibition in 1879, it was the last painting he submitted for the Academy's
approval for the exhibition.
Old Putney Bridge, James McNeill Whistler (1879)
Visitors in the Victorian
era would not accept a portrait being displayed under the title "arrangement",
hence the subtitle "Portrait of the Painter's mother" was added to the
painting, and it was later simply called "Whistler's Mother". After
seeing the painting, Thomas Carlyle, an English historian, agreed to become a model
for another painting of a composition similar to this painting, titled “Arrangement
in Grey and Black, No. 2”. Therefore, the previous painting, "Whistler's
Mother" automatically got the title of "Arrangement in Grey and
Black, No. 1".
Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 2 (Thomas Carlyle), (1872-73)
Whistler's works,
including this one, had attracted many imitators, especially many similar
paintings were drawn by American expatriate painters. The painting displayed in
a major museum also helped Whistler to attract wealthy patrons. The image in this
painting has been used as an icon for “motherhood”, “affection for parents”,
and "family values", especially in the United States since the Victorian
era. As an example, in 1934, in the United States, a stamp was issued bearing the
slogan "In memory and in honor of the mothers of America" with the
portrait detail from "Whistler's Mother". In the borough of Ashland,
Pennsylvania, an 8-foot-high statue based on the painting was built as a tribute
to mothers by the Ashland Boys' Association in 1938, during the Great
Depression.
U.S. postage stamp (1934)
Mothers' Memorial, Ashland, Pennsylvania
Author Martha Tedeschi
stated the influence of the painting as follows:
“Whistler's
Mother, Wood's American Gothic, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa and Edvard
Munch's The Scream have all achieved something that most paintings, regardless
of their art historical importance, beauty, or monetary value, have not. These
few works have successfully made the transition from the elite realm of the
museum visitor to the enormous venue of popular culture”.
American Gothic, Grant Wood (1930)
Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci (c. 1503–1506)
The Scream, Edvard Munch (1893)
“Whistler's Mother” had
a profound influence on French composer Claude Debussy. In 1894, Debussy wrote
to violinist Eugène Ysaÿe about his "Nocturnes," as "an
experiment in the different combinations that can be obtained from one color –
what a study in grey would be in painting”.
Claude Debussy
Thank you.
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