Whistler's Mother

Whistler painted it in London in 1871 when his mother Anna came to live with him. The original model for a standing pose could not hold the position, so Anna sat down. Whistler was dismissive of sentimental interpretations: 'To me it is interesting as a picture of my mother; but what can or ought the public to care about the identity of the portrait?' He titled it Arrangement in Grey and Black, No. 1 — emphasising formal composition over personal subject matter.

It was rejected by the Royal Academy in London in 1872 but eventually included after protest. The French government purchased it in 1891 and it went to the Musée du Luxembourg, later transferring to the Louvre and ultimately to the Musée d'Orsay. The United States issued a stamp featuring the image in 1934, with the addition of a small pot of flowers, cementing its status as an icon of American motherhood.