James McNeill Whistler: Whistler’s Mother or Portrait of the Artist’s Mother, named by Whistler as Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 is a painting in oils on canvas created by the American-born painter in 1871. The subject of the painting is Whistler’s mother,  Anna McNeill Whistler. It is held by the  Musee d’Orsay in Paris, having been bought by the French state in 1891.

In 1999 I was gardening for a couple of people in our old village of Ceres, Fife. Walking around the village one day my sister-in-law was chatting to an elderly resident, Frances (Mary) Reid.

” Did she know of anyone who could do her garden at Shell Cottage, fortnightly through the summer ?”

So, I was installed as Mary’s gardener. Mary had moved to Shell Cottage from a larger Georgian house (St Anne’s) in the village following the death of her husband the retired Rev. Harold Glover Reid. I would work away for two hours in the garden followed by tea and biscuits on the kitchen table. Mary, in her 80’s was always keen to talk about art and one day we were discussing the French Impressionists. I remarked: ‘Yes, Mary I quite like the small fluid paintings of Whistler that greatly influenced the impressionists.’

Mary looked down at the table and said: ‘Yes, my uncle.’

‘What Mary ?’

‘Beatrix Whistler was my aunt.’

Gobsmacked, I enquired for more information from Mary and out it flowed. Mary was born Frances Philip the daughter of Ronald Murray Philip, 1871-1940. He was the ninth of ten children. His older sister Beatrix married the Aesthetic Movement architect and designer E. W. Godwin in 1876 and then married Whistler in 1888, Whistler died in 1903 preceded by Beatrix who died in 1896.

St Anne’s, Ceres, the home of the Reids. Shell Cottage, Ceres. The garden at the side of the cottage long gone.

Mary, however, enjoyed many years knowing her aunt Rosalind Birnie Philip 1873 – 1958, the sister-in-law of Whistler. After the death of Beatrix in 1896 Rosalind acted as secretary to Whistler and was appointed Whistler’s sole beneficiary and the  executrix in his will.

Whistler treated Ronald like a favourite nephew. He painted his portrait in oils around 1898-1900, Portrait of Ronald Murray Philip.

Whistler: Ronald Philip. Pencil drawing

In 1877 Whistler sued the art critic John Ruskin, the trial was the talk of Victorian society.

Ruskin: ‘I have seen, and heard, much of Cockney impudence before now; but never expected to hear a coxcomb ask two hundred guineas for flinging a pot of paint in the public’s face.’

Whistler hoped to recover his £1,000 trial expenses, the jury reached a verdict in favour of Whistler but awarded a mere farthing in nominal damages, in 1879 he was declared bankrupt. After the trial, Whistler received a commission to do twelve etchings in Venice He eagerly accepted the assignment, and arrived in the city with girlfriend Maud Franklin and Ronald.

As a thank you on returning home Whistler presented Ronald with a silver cigarette case engraved with his butterfly monogram. Ronald later worked as a civil engineer for many years in Newfoundland, developing roads, dams and general infrastructure in remote and isolated areas. Unfortunately his wife died there, and he returned with his young daughter Frances to Britain. He died suddenly at his home, The Manor, Stirling, in 1940.

I had neglected my own art for over 30 years. Having enrolled at Elmwood College in Cupar I was determined to resurrect my own art and a ND in art (later HNC and HND) was just the ticket to set me on my way. Having to choose a subject for the portrait project was easy……….’Whistler’s Niece!’ The portrait project was led by talented artist Morag Muir, do have a look at her fabulous work https://www.moragmuir.com/

Graham Bennison: ‘Whistler’s Niece.’

On the wall is a self portrait by Beatrix Whistler kneeling on the grass with a sewing machine. On the table by Mary’s left arm in the silver cigarette case with Whistler’s butterfly monogram, also a history book written by Mary’s uncle, an Oxford Don.

We were required to experiment with our portrait sketches and produce work in a variety of media.

Graham Bennison: Mary, expressionist mode! Ink transfer for a linocut. Linocut 1. Linocut 5. Linocut 8 two colour.

That year (2002) Mary was my guest at the Elmwood annual art show and later I gave the painting to Mary. In 2003, however she had a much more exciting appointment as a guest at the Glasgow University Hunterian Art Museum. To celebrate the 100 years since Whistler’s death the Musee d’Orsay loaned Whistler’s Mother to the Hunterian. Mary, as a remaining relative of Whistler was a guest of honour.

James McNeill Whistler: Miss Rosalind Birnie Philip Standing, c. 1897. Oil on wood. Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, Glasgow.

In 1938 Rosalind Birnie Philip made the first gift to the Hunterian of major paintings of Whistler as well as prints, pastels and drawings. In 1955 she gifted the University a collection of Whistler’s correspondence and books. Following Rosalind’s death in 1958 the balance of her collection of Whistler’s paintings, works on paper and manuscripts and books went to the University.

In 2006 I moved away from the village of Ceres, a frailer Mary was already in the care of her family, she died at St Andrews on 13th July 2014.

Graham Bennison, October 2023. https://www.facebook.com/BennisonArtist