James Whistler - Portrait of the Painter's Mother [1871]

James Whistler - Portrait of the Painter's Mother [1871], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

James Abbott McNeill Whistler (July 14, 1834 – July 17, 1903) was an American-born, British-based painter and etcher. Averse to sentimentality in painting, he was a leading proponent of the credo "art for art's sake". He took to signing his paintings with a stylised butterfly, possessing a long stinger for a tail. The symbol was apt, for Whistler's art was characterised by a subtle delicacy, in contrast to his combative public persona. Finding a parallel between painting and music, Whistler titled many of his paintings "arrangements", "harmonies", and "nocturnes".

In 1863 Whistler's mother moved to England to be with her son. In 1871 his style moved towards greater simplicity when he painted Arrangement in Grey and Black: Portrait of the Painter's Mother. The figure sits in profile on a light background. The horizontal lines of the skirting boards are what holds the elements in place; the only decoration seen in the light dabs of paint defining a pattern on the curtain. The painting was purchased by the French government and is housed in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

[Oil on canvas, 144.3 x 162.5 cm]