Why is Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 also called Whistler’s Mother?

Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 is widely known as Whistler’s Mother simply because the subject of the portrait is the artist’s mother, Anna Whistler.12

While the painting is one of the most recognized works in the world and has become an icon of motherhood, the title Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 reflects James McNeill Whistler’s specific artistic philosophy. Whistler believed that an artist's task was to reveal what resided beneath the surface of empirical reality, and he applied a singular, analytical vision to his portraiture. By titling the work as an "arrangement," he emphasized the painting's formal qualities—such as its pared-down, angular composition and economy of means—rather than focusing solely on the identity of the sitter.21