Also known as Portrait of the Artist's Mother, this painting depicts Anna McNeill Whistler, dressed in a black gown and a white lace cap, seated in profile and holding a white handkerchief in her lap. In the background, a reproduction of Whistler's View of the Thames is visible on the wall. The Japanese-inspired floral pattern on the curtain hanging at left reflects the artist's interest in the Japanese aesthetic, with his signature butterfly symbol visible in the upper right corner.

Although the arrangement of forms may seem simple, there is a deliberate balance of shapes at play, with the rectangular shapes of the picture on the wall, the curtain, and the floor stabilizing the sitter's form. Anna McNeill Whistler, a deeply religious woman, posed for her son after a model cancelled, but due to her age, she was seated instead of standing.

When the painting was purchased by the French government in 1891, it became the first American work to receive this honor. This elevated Whistler's reputation and helped him secure wealthy American patrons. The painting has become iconic and is widely interpreted as a symbol of motherhood, mourning (due to the colors used), or American Puritan stoicism (because of the sitter's clothes). It has inspired other artists, including Albert Herter and Henry Ossawa Tanner, and has appeared in popular culture through movies, cartoons, and advertisements.