On September 27, 1804, Anna McNeill Whistler was born in Wilmington. McNeill was made famous in the renowned painting, “Arrangement in Grey and Black: The Artist’s Mother,” commonly known as “Whistler’s Mother.”
Shortly after her birth, Anna McNeill moved with her family to New York. In 1831, she married George Washington Whistler, a close friend of her brother.
After growing up in the U.S. and Russia, attending West Point for a brief time and then moving to Paris to study art, the Whistlers’ son James began to split his time between Paris and London. He continued to develop his craft, becoming an important figure in contemporary art circles and generating controversy for his greater focus on color and arrangement than on realism.
Anna Whistler moved to London in 1863 to live with her son, and, in 1871, he painted her as the figure in “Whistler’s Mother.” The painting was first shown in 1872, extending Whistler’s reputation, but it has received mixed reviews throughout much of its history. “Whistler’s Mother” now hangs in the Musee D’Orsay in Paris and has been rarely exhibited in the United States.
Other related resources:
- The N.C. Arts Council
- N.C. Arts Trails
- Whistler’s Mother and Ann McNeill Whistler on NCpedia
For more about North Carolina’s history, arts and culture, visit Cultural Resources online. To receive these updates automatically each day subscribe by email using the box on the right and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.