Frances Black’s first daughter, Beatrix (ne Whistler’s wife), in orange and blue: A 2021 ode to Whistler’s mother (arrangement in grey and black, number one).

Satin varnish finish

I grew up with ‘Whistler’s Mother’ seared in my mind- the pinnacle of artistic composition. However, many other brilliant women also featured in James McNeill Whistler’s life. Here is Whistler’s wife, Beatrice (who he called Beatrix or Trixie). This incredible woman was also a talented artist, and the first of ten children to Frances Black and her husband, Edward Godwin. So here is a painting of Beatrix... a little bit in the position of Whistler’s Mother... a dialogue between two incredible women across the centuries :)

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Welcome to the cave of imperfect forms. I’ll let the forms speak for themselves:

‘We like to think of ourselves as your poor man’s (or woman’s or person’s) Marie-Therese Walter or Dora Maar. In fact, if you blur your eyes to the point of not being able to see at all, you may even be able to catch the scent of a very syntheticy Eau de Wally Neuzil.

You may decide for yourself which, if any, of these muses lurk in our creator’s conscious, unconscious or collective unconscious... however, we do know for sure that the purpose of our existence is to reveal the dark, irreverent and unusual slivers that glint like broken glass in all of us imperfect forms here on Earth.’

Errrrr, why thank you, imperfect forms.

Kate