James Abbott McNeill Whistler - Whistler's Mother
- Nathan Lifshitz
- 4 ביוני 2021
- זמן קריאה 2 דקות
Arrangement in Black and Grey No. 1, also known as Whistler's Mother, was painted by the American artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler workshop, in the summer of 1871. It depicts his mother, Anna Matilda McNeill Whistler, sitting in a chair with her legs resting on a stool. In the upper right corner stands Whistler's monogram. A picture with a view of the Thames hangs on the wall.
The title reminds us of the neutral topic that it depicts : a scene from everyday life, a fleeting and ordinary moment, without excess or extravagance. Anna looks straight ahead and clenches her lips. although her age is reflected in her slightly sunken cheeks, her face remains surprisingly smooth. The dullness and austerity of the scene are however disrupted by the hue of her cheeks and lips which soften her harsh expression. The sharp lines and the monochromatic brushwork accentuate the simplicity of the painting and underscore Whistler's interest in printmaking, as recalled by the frame on the wall.
The artwork was partly improvised, as indicated by the artist's mother. In a letter, she writes that the daughter of Congressman William Graham; the 15-year-old Maggie, was to serve as a model for her son but ultimately did not show up at the studio. When Whistler saw his darkly clad mother, he was struck by the contrast formed by her clothes and the color of the wall. He turned over a partially painted canvas and painted his mother on the back of it. Sketches show her standing, but she ultimately shifted her position later on.
First unveiled at the Royal Academy exhibition in London in 1872, the portrait did not draw much attention from critics. It was acquired by France in 1891, and placed in the Musée du Luxembourg and subsequently in the Musée du Louvre thirty years later. It remained there until it was finally transferred to the Musée d'Orsay in 1986.
Nathan.
1. James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 (Whistler's Mother), 1871, oil on canvas, 144.3x163 cm, Musée d'Orsay, Paris
Russell, I. Jon. “Art Commentary: Whistler's Mother A Controversial Painting by an Expatriate American.” Journal of musculoskeletal pain 16.1-2 (2008): 3–6.
https://www.musee-orsay.fr/fr/collections/oeuvres-commentees/peinture/commentaire_id/arrangement-en-gris-et-noir-n1-445.html?tx_commentaire_pi1%5BpidLi%5D=509&tx_commentaire_pi1%5Bfrom%5D=841&cHash=95573e0518
https://www.musee-orsay.fr/fr/collections/catalogue-des-oeuvres/notice.html?nnumid=974