The Artist's Mother By Anna Mcneill

The Artist’s Mother exemplifies the American tradition for psychological portraiture that arose during the 1800s. The dark, neutral tones and abundance of empty space in the painting evokes a coldness that is matched by the austere expression of the subject of the piece, Anna McNeill Whistler, indicating distance between mother and son. Additionally, very little attempt has been made to replicate depth or three-dimensionality, except in the woman’s face and, to some extent, the curtain on the left of the painting. For example, Whistler’s mother’s dress is little more than a black block of paint, with only slight differences in colour tone observable. Despite appearing unattractive and compositionally simplistic, the painting has been carefully