James McNeill Whistler was one of the great innovators of 19th-century art. A provocative and theatrical figure, he pursued beauty and “art for art’s sake” with absolute conviction, pushing the boundaries of painting, printmaking and design. A contemporary of the Impressionists and admired by Van Gogh and Manet, Whistler drew inspiration from music, naming many of his works “arrangements”, “harmonies” and “nocturnes”.
His best-known painting, Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1, better known as Whistler’s Mother, has become one of the most recognizable images in art history.
Directed by David Bickerstaff and made in close collaboration with Tate Britain, the film accompanies the first major Whistler retrospective in three decades, currently bringing together world-famous masterpieces and rarely seen works at Tate Britain.
The exhibition will then travel to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C., its only US venue, from February to July 2027. Ahead of the exhibition, the film will receive its US premiere at the Smithsonian on 18 September 2026.
The film is now rolling out theatrically across the UK, US and international markets, bringing Whistler’s extraordinary life, work and enduring influence to cinema audiences around the world.
TATE BRITAIN EXHIBITION PRESS
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