Arrangement in Grey and Black: Portrait of the Artist's Mother, after Whistler

Discussion

FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Together with his father (also named Thomas Way), T. R. Way oversaw the printing of most of Whistler’s lithographs, which often involved the direct participation of Whistler himself. The Ways were champions of lithography and sought to have it recognized as an art form, not just as an affordable means of reproducing images. Unlike etching and mezzotint, both of which are intaglio processes requiring the incision of a metal plate, lithographic printing relies more on chemistry and the basic principle that oil and water repel each other. As this example demonstrates, a lithograph can be characterized by a powdery or chalky surface texture. Whistler, together with Way, frequently used this quality to achieve expressive effects.

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