Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 (1871) by James McNeill Whistler, best known as Whistler's Mother, or Portrait of the Artist's Mother, is one of the most famous works outside the United States by an American artist. When first exhibited, the Victorian-era audience would not accept a portrait labeled as an "arrangement," which led to the additional title, which created the nickname Whistler's Mother. It has been described as both an American icon and a Victorian Mona Lisa. The subject of the painting is indeed Whistler's mother, Anna McNeill Whistler, sitting in profile clutching a white handkerchief.