Whistler's Mother

10 Mothers of Famous Artists

Many famous artists made portraits of their mothers. Here are 10+ examples.

Featured image: James McNeill Whistler, Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1, 1871


1. Albrecht Dürer, Two Portraits of the Artist’s Mother, 1490 and 1514 (Barbara Dürer, née Holper)

Albrecht Dürer, Two Portraits of the Artist's Mother, 1490 and 1514

Albrecht Dürer, The Artist’s Mother, 1490 and 1514 – ©Public Domain


2. Guido Reni, Portrait of the Artist’s Mother, 1612 (Ginevra de’ Pozzi)

Guido Reni - The Artist's Mother

Guido Reni, Portrait of the Artist’s Mother, 1612 – ©Public Domain


3. Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn, Old Woman at Prayer (The Artist’s Mother), 1629/30 (Neeltgen Willemsdochter van Zuytbrouck)

Rembrandt, The Artist's Mother, 1630

Rembrandt, Old Woman at Prayer (The Artist’s Mother), 1630 ©Public Domain


4. Pierre Renoir, Portrait de la mère de Renoir, 1860

Renoir, The Artist's Mother, 1860

Pierre Auguste Renoir, Portrait de la mère de Renoir, 1860 – ©Public Domain


5. James McNeill Whistler, Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 (Whistler’s Mother), 1871 (Ann McNeill Whistler)

Whistler's Mother

James McNeill Whistler, Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 (Whistler’s Mother), 1871 – ©Public Domain


6. Heni de Toulouse-Lautrec, The artist’s mother, comtesse Adèle de Toulouse-Lautrec, at breakfast, Malromé Chateau, 1881-83 (Adèle Tapié de Céleyran)

Toulouse-Lautrec, The Artist's Mother, 1881-83

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, The artist’s mother, comtesse Adèle de Toulouse-Lautrec, at breakfast, Malromé Chateau, 1881-83 – ©Public Domain


7. Vincent van Gogh, Portrait of the Artist’s Mother, 1888 (Anna Cornelia van Gogh)

Van Gogh, The Artist's Mother, 1888

Vincent van Gogh, Portrait of the Artist’s Mother, 1888 – ©Public Domain


8. Franz Marc, Portrait of the Artist’s Mother, 1902 (Sophie Maurice)

Franz Marc, Portrait of the Artist's Mother, 1902

Franz Marc, Portrait of the Artist’s Mother, 1902 – ©Public Domain


9. Umberto Boccioni, The Artist’s Mother, 1915 (Cecilia Forlani Boccioni)

Umberto Boccioni, The Artist's Mother, 1915

Umberto Boccioni, The Artist’s Mother, 1915


10. Egon Schiele, The Artist’s Mother, 1918 (Marie Soukup)

Egon Schiele, Die Mutter des Künstlers, 1918

Egon Schiele, Die Mutter des Künstlers, 1918 – ©Public Domain


11. Grant Wood, Woman with Plant(s) (The Artist’s Mother), 1929 (Hattie Weaver Wood)

Grant Wood, Woman with Plants, 1929

Grant Wood, Woman with Plants, 1929 – ©Public Domain


More examples (including paintings by Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, David Hockney and Lucian Freud) on Pinterest Mothers of famous artists

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