5. Portrait of the artist's mother in profile.This information is published from the Museum's collection database. The oil painting Whistler’s Mother, by James McNeill Arrangement in Grey and Black: Portrait of the Painter's Mother; John Robert Parsons (British, about 1826 - 1909); 1871 - 1876; Albumen silver print; 14.9 × 16.8 cm (5 7/8 × 6 5/8 in. The portrait is essentially a collection of objects arranged around the gray surface of the wall. It is, to this day, still ensconced in the landscape of popular American culture. 1, also called Portrait of the Artist's Motheris a reminder, if only through its double title, of the stylisation to which Whistler soon submitted the realistic aesthetic of his early years. Arrangement in Grey and Black: Portrait of the Painter's Mother (Whistler's Mother) "Whistler's Mother," as this painting is often called, is an extraordinarily well-known image. Whistler’s Mother is a nickname popularized by the public. But for me the start of 1955 hasn’t been so great so far. Arrangement in Grey and Black No.1 (1871), popularly known as Whistler's Mother, Musée d'Orsay, Paris Main article: Whistler's Mother By 1871, Whistler returned to portraits and soon produced his most famous painting, the nearly monochromatic full-length figure entitled Arrangement in Grey and Black No.1 , but usually referred to as Whistler's Mother . Published on Sat 6 Jul 2002 14.49 EDT 1: Portrait of the Artist's Mother Origin England Date 1891–1906 Medium Mezzotint in black on cream China paper, laid down on cream wove paper (chine collé) Dimensions 315 × 352 mm (image); 438 × 441 mm (plate); 424 × 427 mm (primary support); 530 × 638 mm (secondary support) Credit Line Clarence Buckingham Collection Reference Number 1938.1565 … He planned to express this new credo in a portrait of his mother using very spare lines, simple shapes, and restrained colors. Yet, since it was first exhibited in 1872, this painting has been consistently misunderstood.When most people think of Whistler's Mother, they think of it as a loving tribute on Whistler's part, a sentimental portrait of a stolid New England matriarch by her devoted son.

Whistler takes the raw stuff of his mother and makes her part of this decorative ensemble. The 1871 painting Arrangement in Grey and Black No. It is, to this day, still ensconced in the landscape of popular American culture. Whistler’s Mother Artist James McNeill Whistler Year 1871 Medium Oil on canvas Location Musée d’Orsay, Paris Dimensions 56.8 in × 63.9 in 144.3 cm × 162.4 cm This iconic painting tours different cities worldwide and it is known to be one of the famous artworks in existence. Please contact Every effort has been made to accurately determine the rights status of works and their images. A Portrait of Whistler's Mother: Arrangement in Grey and Black No.1 by James Abbott McNeill Whistler is a 100% hand-painted oil painting reproduction on canvas painted by one of our professional artists. More substantial modern paintings were being made - the first impressionist exhibition would come in 1874 - but no one else declared the autonomy of art with such a vulgar sense of humour. Black, the muted colour of mourning and piety, is appropriated as an "art colour". His mother's pear-shaped black silhouette in an all-covering dress and the white lace bonnet on her tightly bound hair bring a severe, contradictory moralism into Whistler's aesthetic room. By continuing to browse this site you agree to the use of cookies.

His most famous painting is Arrangement in Grey and Black No.

Arrangement in Grey and Black No. Perhaps it is the strange, contradictory structure of the painting - almost absurd in its emphasis on formal composition, yet at the same time evoking in his mother's weathered, bony profile the harsh moral character of Puritan America - that has made this one of the most instantly recognised of portraits.