Iconic Whistler's Mother On Display At The Clark [MA]

WAMC ^ | Jul 3, 2015 | Jim Levulis

[Daffynition]

An iconic 19th century American painting that remains one of art’s most famous works will be on view July 4th at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

James McNeill Whistler’s most famous painting known today as Whistler’s Mother is an 1871 portrait of the woman born as Anna Matilda McNeill. Curator Jay Clarke says the image became an American icon while on a cross-country tour during the 1930s.

[Daffynition]

If you are in the area [Berkshires of Massachusetts].... don't miss this exhibit...it's worth your while.

The exhibition runs till September 27th. An exhibit of nearly 50 Van Gogh works is on display until September 13th.

[LRoggy]

True story:

In the early 90’s I was working in London and decided to spend a weekend in Paris. The Musee D’Orsay had just opened and I went on in.

Picked up the brochure at the front and didn’t note anything really of importance and started to walk around.

Turned the corner and staring back at me from the wall was this painting.

The French couldn’t bother to put the painting in the brochure!

Some things never change . . .

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

My wife calls the picture of my mother, “Farter’s Mother”.

[dfwgator]

[Fester Chugabrew]

Yes! Came to mind immediately.

[cicero2k]

Musee D’Orsay

---

Probably my favorite museum ever.

Lately, if the museum allows non-flash photography, I take a photo with my SLR, project the image on a large computer monitor at home. It is much more enjoyable. The lighting in the museum is too low, there’s crowds and I can color correct painting on the desktop.

End up with a better image than witnessed in person.

[Daffynition]

In its time, *Arrangement in Grey and Black No.1*, was considered one of the most famous works by an American artist outside the United States. For some, it still is.

Wood's American Gothic, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa and Edvard Munch's The Scream

....all darlings of photoshoppers!

I would much rather view this icon in the natural beauty of the Berkshires, than the chaos of Paris.

[Daffynition]

[Daffynition]

Must be, from all that papperoni

[kinsman redeemer]

[Daffynition]

Goodness! And you would re-write history?

Toxic thought!

[Daffynition]

I love it! HAHAHA!

[Daffynition]

[cicero2k]

Goodness! And you would re-write history?

Toxic thought!

---

No, go back in history.

The original artist probably thought the work would be viewed in a well lit area, and was not thinking conservation lighting.

Plus, colors fade, smoke stains and other contamination change the vision.

Even today, our plum exterior trim turns to red in California.

[DannyTN]

[FredZarguna]

[Swordmaker]

Funny thing is that the painting was not entitled "Whistler's Mother" by Whistler. He called it merely "Arrangement" but an explanatory addendum was added on first exhibition in 1872 at the 104th Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Art which said "Portrait of the Artist's Mother." in London. People of the period objected to calling a portrait sitting with a person in it a still life "Arrangement" so the popular press critics, liking the painting, started calling it Whistler's "Mother", even though it was not his name for the painting and their popular name for it angered him. A further addendum to the "Arrangement of "in Grey and Black, No. 1" was added in later years because Whistler did a second painting named "Arrangement in Grey and Black, No. 2" and since there was no Whistler painting "Arrangement in Grey and Black, No. 1" the first had to be the Mother painting, the only similar painting done by Whistler.

Arrangement in Gray and Black, No. 2.
Two women actually sat for the "arrangement", his mother was the primary model whose face is portrayed, and a young girl, Helena Amelia Lindgren, from next door who substituted for the his mother when she got tired of sitting in the same pose for hours.

[JoeProBono]

[Swordmaker]

Plus, colors fade, smoke stains and other contamination change the vision.

Yes, look at Whistler's "Arrangement in Grey and Black, No. 2"; it is in need of a good cleaning. The greys and blacks are obviously covered with a yellowed coating, probably a lacquered overcoat from some previous attempt at conservation using poor, little understood techniques of an earlier period which have yellowed with age. Compare it with the well cared for Whistler's "Arrangement" and see the difference.

[Daffynition]

**Plus, colors fade, smoke stains and other contamination change the vision.**

I reject your *vision*...and your right to do so. You can do whatever you want, it obviously pleases you, since you know better.

Meh.