Genres of Paintings Painting Genres    

Lesson 19: Portrait - Whistler's Mother

by James McNeill Whistler

Directions

Study the artwork for one week.

Over the week:

• Examine the artwork.
• Read the synopsis.
• Study the vocabulary words.
• Recite the artist and artwork names.
• Read about the artwork's genre.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Discuss the review questions.

Synopsis

American James McNeill Whistler's 'Whistler's Mother' is a portrait of the artist's mother, Anna McNeill Whistler. The painting consists of severe shades of black, white, and grey and features many right angles. Wearing a severe expression, Anna Whistler sits rigidly upright on a chair, her feet clad in black shoes and propped up on a footrest. She wears a black dress with lace trim and a white lacy head covering. She also holds a lacy handkerchief. Two paintings in black frames hang on the gray and black wall. A grey and white floral curtain hangs motionless from the ceiling. Gray and black carpeting features a square pattern. Whistler's Mother is one of the most famous American artworks around the world. Over the years, this painting has been shown or mentioned in several movies and television shows, featured in a 1934 stamp, and immortalized in an 8-foot-tall statue in Pennsylvania.

Vocabulary

Portrait: A painting, drawing, photograph, or engraving of a person, especially one depicting only the face or head and shoulders.
Lace: A fine open fabric, typically one of cotton or silk, made by looping, twisting, or knitting thread in patterns and used especially for trimming garments.
Handkerchief: A square of cotton or other finely woven material, typically carried in one's pocket and intended for blowing or wiping one's nose.

Concepts

1. Portrait paintings typically feature a single human as the primary subject.
2. Portraits are often commissioned by the person being painted or their family.
3. Portraits are historically been painted for the rich and powerful, who could afford to pay for their paintings. Today, portraits may also be commissioned by those in the middle class.
4. The goal of the portrait is usually not to accurately represent reality and the subject's flaws, but rather to produce a flattering likeness of the subject.
5. Select types of portraits include, 1) Full-length, 2) Half-length, 3) Bust, 4) Profile, 5) Full-face, and 6) Three-quarters view.
6. See below examples of six common types of portraits: 1) Jacques-Louis David's 'Madame Récamier' (Full-length, Three-quarters), 2) Velázquez's 'Pope Innocent X' (Half-length, Three-quarters), 3) Mary Cassatt's 'Portrait of Madame Sisley' (Bust, Profile), and 4) 'Charles I in Three Positions' by Sir Anthony van Dyck (Half-Length with Profile, Full-face, and Three-quarters).

Enrichment

Activity 1: Can You Find It?

Zoom in to find the following in the artwork:

• Right Angles
• Floral Curtain
• Something Stern
• Lace Trim
• Footrest
• Lace Handkerchief
• Head Covering
• Two Paintings

Activity 2: Narrate the Artwork

• After studying the artwork, narrate the scene shown aloud using your own words.

Activity 3: Map the Artist

Zoom in on the map of the United States to find Massachusetts, the birth state of the artist, James Abbott McNeill Whistler.

Activity 4: Color Massachusetts on the Map   

• Click the crayon above and complete page 41 of 'Third Grade Art History Coloring Book.'

Activity 5: Color the Artwork   

• Click the crayon above and complete page 42 of 'Third Grade Art History Coloring Book.'

Review

Question 1

Who are the characters in the artwork?

1 / 6

Answer 1

The character in the artwork is Whistler's mother, Anna.

1 / 6

Question 2

What is the setting of the artwork?

2 / 6

Answer 2

The setting is inside a room.

2 / 6

Question 3

Describe Whistler's mother's expression.

3 / 6

Answer 3

Whistler's mother wears a stern expression.

3 / 6

Question 4

Which geometric angle features prominently in the artwork?

4 / 6

Answer 4

Right angles feature prominently in the artwork.

4 / 6

Question 5

Into which genre is this painting classified?

5 / 6

Answer 5

This painting falls into the portrait genre.

5 / 6

Question 6

Is the portrait best described as a full-length, half-length, bust, profile, full-face, and/or three-quarters view?

6 / 6

Answer 6

This painting is best described as a full-length portrait with a profile view.

6 / 6

❮ ❯

1. Who are the characters in the artwork? The character in the artwork is Whistler's mother, Anna.
2. What is the setting of the artwork? The setting is inside a room.
3. Describe Whistler's mother's expression. Whistler's mother wears a stern expression.
4. Which geometric angle features prominently in the artwork? Right angles feature prominently in the artwork.
5. Into which genre is this painting classified? This painting falls into the portrait genre.
6. Is the portrait best described as a full-length, half-length, bust, profile, full-face, and/or three-quarters view? This painting is best described as a full-length portrait with a profile view.

References

Whistler's Mother.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'Portrait painting.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'Portrait.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.