James McNeill Whistler (Lowell, Massachusetts, 1834 - 1903, London, England)
John McNeill Whistler's "Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1" or "Whistler's Mother", 27 August 1911
Ink on newspaper
A light-skinned woman is sitting in profile on a chair on the far right of the image, with her head and body facing our left. She takes up most of the scene. She is wearing a floor length dark dress, with lace edging the cuffs of her sleeves and collar. Her head is covered with a light-colored cloth that reaches her chest, although a strip of glossy dark hair is left uncovered at her forehead and temples. Her eyes are open and her mouth is closed. Her hands are clasped on her lap, clutching a lacy item, perhaps a handkerchief. Her feet are propped up on a light-colored rectangular block and the tips of her dark boots peek out from the drape of her skirt. The wall behind her is plain, apart from a rectangular piece of art at the top of the wall and parallel with her knees. The artwork has a simple dark frame and light matting, and depicts an outdoor scene. Next to the artwork, on the left side of the image, is a curtain. It hangs from the top of the image to the floor and stops at the woman’s boots. The curtain is dark, with light designs of swooping lines and flowers along its folds. The bottom of the image has a light tan border with the title “Whistler’s Mother” in the center and the credit line in smaller font on the left side of the border. The credit line says “Supplement to the Boston Sunday Herald August 27, 1811.”
Vatichino
Commentary
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