W i l m i n g t o n ’ s M r s . W h i s t l e r her gaze is restful, but not focused. The drapery envelops her delicate frame; the lace of her cap lays gauze-like on her shoulders. She is doing what she did so many times in her life — being patient with her son, James McNeill Whistler. and parodied countless times. In posters and t-shirts, the Muppet Gonzo, Marge Simpson, Minnie Mouse and the Wicked Witch of the West have replaced the gentle face of Anna McNeill Whistler. Her pose has been changed to show her playing the saxophone, wielding a light sabre and typing on an iPad. We readily recognize the image, but there is no widespread knowledge about the devoted American mother who posed endlessly for this painting. 21 She sits in profile, hands folded in her lap and feet resting gently on a small stool. She looks slightly downward, Somewhere across the studio, the painter lunges and dabs at the large canvas, reworking passages as he struggles to get the right effect of color and form. After all, when painting a portrait of one’s mother, an artist wants to get it right. But, is it really a portrait? After nearly 150 years, few people are aware that the title Whistler gave this work is not “Whistler’s Mother,” but “Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1.” This painting, a much-loved American icon, has been copied www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM
Wrightsville Beach Magazine May 2014
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