….what’s in a name…

The name given to a work of art is sometimes the inspiration for the art. Sometimes it is a reflection of how the artist sees the work once completed. Wherever the name comes from it is always part of the work and can be a clue to the artist’s internal concept and can be as important as the creation itself. The name informs the visual and helps cement an emotional connection for the person viewing it.

It is not unusual for people to notice and admire a work of art and then move on until they see the name of the piece and then stop to look at it again. That second glance helps form a new perspective on a piece. It can elevate the work to be so compelling that it’s the reason they come back the next day hoping like crazy that the piece is still there because they MUST have it.

In 1871, James McNeill Whistler painted what would become his most famous work, which he titled “Arrangement in Grey and Black”. He submitted it to the Royal Academy of Art in London for its 104th Exhibition. Members of the Royal Academy and the British public were unhappy with the work – the Academy came close to rejecting the painting and the public was uneasy with a portrait described solely as an “arrangement” of colors, wanting more of an explanatory title. As a result, Whistler appended the words “Portrait of the Artist’s Mother” to the “Arrangement” title just for this exhibition, although that name stuck and the painting has come down to us by the more popular name: “Whistler’s Mother.”