Who made it?This painting was created by an American artist named James McNeill Whistler in 1871.
Where is the REAL one?
The real painting can be seen at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris, France.
Why is this artwork important?
Ever since its first showing in 1872, this has been one of the most famous and least understood paintings of all time. When people think of Arrangement in Grey and Black, they often think it is supposed to be loving tribute to a family member. But actually, what makes this painting so successful is the simple and carefully planned use of the lines, shapes and colors. Whistler was more interested in how images could be simply about what you see, and how carefully chosen elements can work together to create visual harmony. In fact, he gave musical titles to his paintings (harmonies, arrangements, etc.) because he felt the musical notion of the harmony was more appropriate than that of subject matter (portrait, landscape, etc.) The identity of the model was unimportant to Whistler, and was not meant to offer any emotional meaning for the painting, something that was totally different from most artworks at that time. Whistler only added the subtitle, The Artist's Mother, due to pressure from viewers and critics who could not understand the original title. Nonetheless, many people can't help but feel interested in the woman in this painting and even feel that Whistler's use of these colors, as well as the model's position, make us think about what her personality and character may have been like.
