Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1
Portrait of the Artist's Mother - 1871

James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834 - 1903)

This portrait of the artists mother, Anna Matilda McNeill Whistler, was painted in London. During the sitting, she offered up 'a mother's unceasing prayer' that her son should succeed as an artist, but it took some time for the painting to acquire its current reputation. In 1891, the portrait was acquired by the Musee du Luxembourg and then purchased by the French state, and at that point was being talked about in the terms of being 'a great masterpiece'.