By this very simplicity, quiet, and repose, Whistler has made us feel the love and reverence he has for his mother. He leaves us to guess what the mother herself may be thinking as she looks back over the life now past. With what reluctance she may have at first consented to pose for her portrait, believing that this great, wonderful son of hers had better choose some younger, fairer model, more responsive to his magic brush! But when she found his heart was set upon painting her portrait, she would hesitate no longer.
No doubt he knew just which dress he wished his mother to wear. We all know the dress we like to see our own mother wear. Very likely Whistler had planned the picture for days and knew exactly where he wished her to sit and just how the finished portrait was to look. And the mother, with her faith in her son’s talent, probably thought his wanting her picture was only a token of his love for her, little realizing that this portrait alone would make her son famous.
We are moved by the silence and reserve of this gentle lady to an appreciation of the love, reverence, and respect that are her due.
Held at a distance, our reproduction of this picture seems to consist merely of a black silhouette against a light gray wall. On closer examination we soon discover two other values—that of the floor, which is medium gray, and the darker mass of the curtain.
Whistler was so fond of gray that he always kept his studio dimly lighted in order to produce that effect. His pictures are full of suggestions rather than actual objects or details. In his landscapes all is seen through a misty haze of twilight, early morning, fog, or rain. They suggest rather than tell their story. He makes us think as well as feel.
Questions to help the pupil understand the picture. What did Mr. Whistler call this painting? Why was the name changed? What is it often called? why? Which name seems the most appropriate to you? What colors did the artist use? How many values are represented in this painting? What are they? What can you say about the division of space in the picture? of the light and shade? of the interior of the room?
To the Teacher: Tell about the picture and the artist, or have some one pupil prepare the story and tell it to the class. This may be followed by a written description of the picture and a short sketch of the artist’s life by the class, given in connection with the English composition work. These questions may be written upon the blackboard as a guide or suggestion.
The story of the artist. Perhaps there never was a boy more fond of playing practical jokes than James McNeill Whistler. For this reason he made many enemies as well as friends, for you know that, although very amusing in themselves, practical jokes are apt to offend.
But first we should know something about Whistler’s father and mother. Of a family of soldiers, the father was a graduate of West Point Military Academy, and became a major in the United States army. During those peaceful days there was very little to keep an army officer busy, so the government allowed its West Point graduates to aid in the building of the railroads throughout the country. Civil engineers were in great demand, and from a position as engineer on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Major Whistler became engineer to the Proprietors of Locks and Canals at Lowell, Massachusetts. To Lowell, then a mere village, Major Whistler brought his family, and here James was born. Later the family moved to Stonington, Connecticut.
Whistler’s mother was a strict Puritan and brought up her son according to Puritan beliefs. Their Sundays were quite different from ours at the present day. They really began on Saturday night for little James, for it was then that his pockets were emptied, all toys put away, and everything made ready for the Sabbath. On that day the Bible was the only book they were allowed to read.