Anna McNeill Whistler

01/12/24 • 73 min

While Whistler's Mother has continued to captivate the imagination of viewers through the centuries, the name and story of Whistler’s real mother has been wrongfully overlooked.

Who was Whistler’s mother? And how would she have liked to be remembered?

Listen to ArtMuse’s episode on Anna McNeill Whistler, not only the mother of James McNeill Whistler, but also his artistic manager and agent. One may judge by her portrait that Anna was a stern woman who lived a simple life, but doing so would be a great injustice, for Anna was a far from ordinary woman, who lived a far from simple life.

She was Whistler’s mother, but she was also so much more.

ArtMuse is produced by Kula Production Company.

Please FOLLOW and RATE ArtMuse on Spotify and SUBSCRIBE and REVIEW our show on Apple Podcasts.

Instagram/ Website/BuyMeACoffee

Be sure to follow ArtMuse on Instagram & TikTok. Donate to ArtMuse HERE.

ArtMuse is produced by Kula Production Company.

Today’s episode was written by host Grace Anna.

There are accompanying images, resources and suggestions for further reading on the ArtMuse website and Instagram.

While Whistler's Mother has continued to captivate the imagination of viewers through the centuries, the name and story of Whistler’s real mother has been wrongfully overlooked.

Who was Whistler’s mother? And how would she have liked to be remembered?

She was Whistler’s mother, but she was also so much more.

ArtMuse is produced by Kula Production Company.

Please FOLLOW and RATE ArtMuse on Spotify and SUBSCRIBE and REVIEW our show on Apple Podcasts.

Instagram/ Website/BuyMeACoffee

Be sure to follow ArtMuse on Instagram & TikTok. Donate to ArtMuse HERE.

ArtMuse is produced by Kula Production Company.

Today’s episode was written by host Grace Anna.

There are accompanying images, resources and suggestions for further reading on the ArtMuse website and Instagram.

Previous Episode

Fillide Melandroni

Listen to ArtMuse’s episode on Fillide Melandroni. Fillide was the most consistent model that Caravaggio ever used and became an important figure in his life. She could pose as Saint Catherine one day and Judith the next, but Fillide herself was just as fierce as the biblical heroines she modeled as; a fearlessly confident prostitute with a crooked hand and gaze that could pierce as sharply as a sword.
Fillide’s appearance in Caravaggio’s works coincided with the launch of the style he is best known for: the dark and violent scenes painted with such bravado that they continue to shock viewers today. Fillide’s spirited presence in these works was just as responsible for the development of Caravaggio’s matured artistic voice as Caravaggio himself and her role in informing his artistic practice deserves recognition.

Her story includes romance, violence, murder, and exile, but most of all, it is the story of an independent woman who was able to climb the ranks of Rome’s social world and work her way from poverty to luxury, through her own hard work and personal drive.

ArtMuse is produced by Kula Production Company.

Please FOLLOW and RATE ArtMuse on Spotify and SUBSCRIBE and REVIEW our show on Apple Podcasts.

Instagram/ Website/BuyMeACoffee

Be sure to follow ArtMuse on Instagram & TikTok. Donate to ArtMuse HERE.

ArtMuse is produced by Kula Production Company.

Today’s episode was written by host Grace Anna.

There are accompanying images, resources and suggestions for further reading on the ArtMuse website and Instagram.

Next Episode

Gala Dali Part One

Behind every great man, is an even greater woman, and this sentiment couldn’t be more true than in the case of Salvador Dali. Hidden in the shadows of Dali’s massive legacy, is the woman who can be credited with making Dali a household name and one of the strongest forces of nature to ever walk this earth.

Gala was the the wife and companion of Salvador Dali for over 50 years, who not only inspired Dali’s greatest works (many of which feature her image), but managed Dali’s entire career, brokering his biggest deals and elevating him from an unknown and impoverished young artist to celebrity status.

Listen to Part One of Gala's story.

ArtMuse is produced by Kula Production Company.

Please FOLLOW and RATE ArtMuse on Spotify and SUBSCRIBE and REVIEW our show on Apple Podcasts.

Instagram/ Website/BuyMeACoffee

Be sure to follow ArtMuse on Instagram & TikTok. Donate to ArtMuse HERE.

ArtMuse is produced by Kula Production Company.

Today’s episode was written by host Grace Anna.

There are accompanying images, resources and suggestions for further reading on the ArtMuse website and Instagram.