Autumn salutations from Ashland, Pennsylvania! Here, you'll find the only monument in the USA dedicated to mothers, a statue of Whistler's mother. For those of you who don't remember art class, James Abbott McNeill Whistler was an American painter and etcher who assimilated Japanese art styles, made technical innovations, and championed modern art. Many regard him as preeminent among etchers. Just imagine what he could've done with an "Etch-A-Sketch"! But Jimmy's most famous work of course is indeed "Arrangement in Black and Grey No. 1: The Artist's Mother", better known as Whistler's Mother, which was painted over a 3-month stint in 1871, long after Oedipus had his little maternal obsession issues...

Anyway, back to Ashland, where the Whistler's Mother statue in found downtown. Visitors park on the hill below, and climb steep stairs to her retreat. She is seated, peaceful, gazing in the general direction of the road to Centralia. Carved into the Whistler's Mother's pedestal: "A Mother is the Holiest thing Alive." Of course, Moms are honored in the U.S. every May on Mother's Day, when more long distance phone calls are made on that day than on any other day of the year. And look at all of the famous mothers we know - Mother Teresa, Mother Earth, Mother Goose, Mother Courage, Mother Lode, Ma Barker, Ma Bell... the list goes on and on! So what better way to introduce another (now) famous mother! We here at BATW are pleased to introduce you to Mary, who was kind enough to haul the beans up the hill to meet Mrs. Whistler in person. Thanks, Mary!

Whistler pioneered the modern style of sparse galleries, involving himself intimately in the presentation of his work. He even went so far as to have the gallery attendant attired in colors that would harmonize with the paintings on display. The original painting is owned by the French government and is found in Paris at the Musée d'Orsay, but it's nice to know that the statue is here in the good ol' U.S. of A. Here, Janet and the beans celebrate mothers everywhere, for without them, who would be here? Just some plants and an occasional cell-splitting amoeba. Besides, Moms usually make the best bean soup...

And the answer to the $64,000 question of, "What was Whistler's mother's name?" Anna Matilda McNeill Whistler, of course. Anna McNeill fell in love with a West Point classmate of her brother's, but the cadet, G. W. Whistler, married another woman. After seven years of marriage and three children, Whistler's wife died and he renewed his romance with Anna. They married when she was twenty-seven, and Anna gave birth to five sons. Her firstborn was James, who made his mother famous. Anna passed away in 1881, never realizing how famous her little boy would make her. The beans find this touching, and wish that they had a mother to thank for bringing them into the world. Thanks again to Janet & Mary!