Based on actual events, Mrs Whistler is the story of artist James MacNeill Whistler, a man so convinced of his own genius that he embarks on an ill-advised libel action against art critic, John Ruskin, who has been less than complimentary about his work, falls out with the wealthy and influential Frederick Leyland over a room known as 'The Peacock Room' he has been commissioned to decorate, and is gulled by individuals he thought were friends but who turn out to be anything but. It's a story of hubris in which you feel all along that things are not going to turn out well although, to a certain extent, you do have to admire someone whose overwhelming self-confidence enables them to view what anyone else would see as a disaster as a mere temporary setback. I'm afraid that was the only thing I found to admire about the James Whistler revealed in the book. Sure, he's good company and hosts lavish parties but mostly using other people's money. And he is completely self-centred. 'Jim was not known for his perceptiveness when it came to the thoughts and feelings of others...' Too right.

There's really only one 'official' Mrs Whistler in the book, James' mother, the subject of probably his most famous painting. Maud, the young woman who starts off as his model, then his muse and then his lover, never achieves that status. Maud has artistic talent of her own but is destined to remain in Whistler's shadow, supporting him through one scrape after another, enduring the penury that follows the outcome of his disastrous libel action and putting up with his moods. 'When in the dumps, he was but a husk - a despondent child, a tired old man.' Time and again, I found myself thinking, 'Maud why on earth are you with this man?' particularly when she is forced to make an unbearably sad decision on not just one, but two occasions purely so Whistler's artistic life can continue unimpeded.

It's Maud who finally puts two and two together and discovers just how ruthlessly Whistler has been manipulated - and betrayed - by a person he thought his closest friend (although I suspect most readers will have had their doubts about them from early on).

The reader gets a fascinating insight into the artistic community of the period with walk-on parts for artists such as Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Edward Burne-Jones. There's even an appearance towards the end of the book by Oscar Wilde (described as 'a fleshy, rather flamboyant young Irishman') who of course also embarked on an ill-fated libel action.

In the author's Historical Note he references the biography of Whistler written by American art critic Elizabeth Pennell and her husband Joseph, published in 1911. He describes how, whilst writing the book, they felt certain details about Whistler's life were missing. However, although Maud was still alive, she refused to talk to the Pennells. As they described it: ‘Maud could tell the whole story, but she will not.‘ Mrs Whistler is Matthew Plampin's very engaging attempt to fill in the gaps in that story.

The Whistler the title refers to is, of course, the American painter James Abbott McNeill Whistler, and ‘Mrs Whistler’ is his model, muse and mistress, Maud Franklin. Although I was familiar with a few of his most famous paintings, such as Arrangement in Grey and Black No.1 (known as Whistler’s Mother), I knew nothing about his personal life or what sort of man he was, and I’m sorry to say that I hadn’t even heard of Maud.

The story of Maud’s relationship with Whistler is played out against a backdrop of some of the significant events that occurred in their lives between 1876 and 1880. The first part of the novel concentrates on the controversial Peacock Room, a decorative interior Whistler creates in the dining room of Frederick Richards Leyland’s London townhouse. Leyland is not at all happy when he sees what Whistler has done and a bitter feud follows. Later, the novel explores Whistler’s decision to sue the art critic John Ruskin for libel after he describes Whistler’s painting Nocturne in Black and Gold as ‘flinging a pot of paint in the public’s face’.

These two incidents form the basis of the plot and as I had no prior knowledge of any of this, I found that I was learning a lot about Whistler, his paintings and his life. But this is not so much a book about Whistler as a book about what it was like to know Whistler, to be near him and to share both his triumphs and his troubles. Maud Franklin must have known him as well as anyone – she was with him for around fifteen years and they had two children together (whom she had to see raised by foster parents), which makes her a logical choice of character to focus on. However, according to Plampin’s author’s note the real Maud had refused to talk to Whistler’s biographers who complained that ‘Maud could tell the whole story, but she will not’. This means Plampin has had to use his imagination to decide how Maud felt about Whistler and the other people in his life and how she may have thought, spoken and reacted.

Whistler, at least as seen through the fictional Maud’s eyes, does not come across as a very pleasant man. He’s self-absorbed, he treats Maud badly at times and often lacks awareness and judgement, which is particularly illustrated by his relationship with his friend Charles Augustus Howell, known as Owl. It is obvious to the reader that Owl cannot be trusted, but Whistler remains irritatingly loyal to him, not able to see what we and (eventually) Maud can see. I did have sympathy for Maud and wouldn’t have blamed her if she had left Whistler, but she stayed with him, I suppose, through a combination of love and a need for security. It’s a sad and often frustrating story, but told in a way that I found believable and convincing.

Not for me I'm afraid. It's well written, but I don't like to read descriptions of pictures, I want to see them. So I went to Wikipedia and ending up reading the entries there in an hour or so and then the book was superfluous as it didn't add anything else afaics, just padded it out.

I found this book a bit heavy going and I think that it was mainly down to the lack of sympathy I had for Whistler. Whilst Maud is easier to understand, the restrictions placed on a Victorian woman meant that her choices were severely limited. Whistler could neither see his own short comings nor those of others, and this was what caused him so many problems. In general artists do not come out of this in a good light!!! Interesting.

I know nothing of the art world and was fascinated to know the book is based on real people, artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler (a.k.a. Jimmy Whistler) and his muse Maud Franklin. Every now and again I like to read a book outside my comfort zone or about a world of way of life completely alien to my experiences. I found the relationship between Jimmy and Maud quite disturbing. Maud is his muse and lover but he’s quite harsh and brutal to her and forces her to make a painful choice when she becomes pregnant. Maud’s love is blind and completely realistic. Jimmy did not deserve it in the slightest. I liked the way the book combines fact with fiction to offer insight into an era of change and uncertainty. The book is packed with rich detail and historical references. It’s different than the books I usually read but thoroughly enjoyable.

For those of us who didn't know much of the painter James Whistler, much less his wife Maud, this is a thoroughly entertaining and informative novel. Plampin takes us deep into Whistler's private life and leaves us wondering how he ever managed to be so creative and original when he was continually struggling to stay ahead of his creditors. Friends not only betrayed and stole from him . His major patron deserted him. Ruskin wrote a profoundly damaging article which led to Whistler taking out a court action for libel. It seemed it was only Maud who remained steadfast in supporting him, even though she had to give up the two children he fathered as Whistler was convinced having children around, under the age of six, got in the way of his art. Fortunately for Whistler, he was full of self-belief - to the extent of being bombastic and self deluding, and as a result continued to produce art which is still admired today. Maud Whistler stuck with him through these upheavals in his life and whilst one is left admiring this muse and model for her fidelity, she should perhaps be recognised more for her cunning perceptiveness of his "circle" which ultimately opened Whistler's eyes to how he was being tricked and deceived by those he believed friends. An enlightening read.

This is the kind of chewy, satisfying read that you’ll need access to Google to fully experience. I thoroughly relished all the looking-up of the paintings and people which populated Whistler’s world and I discovered a flawed and irritating, but wholly engaging anti-hero and his surprising tale.
The writing here is fond of and exasperated by its protagonist in equal measure and the story ticks along nicely, adding twisty flourishes as befits a novel rather than a biography.
A modern reader in the world of internet trolling may be baffled by the fact that starting a letter with ‘Dear Sir’ and ending it with ‘Yours Truly’ is a clear sign that war has been declared but the Victorian version of Twitter battles, while seemingly restrained, is just as vicious and mind-boggling.
A fascinating and entertaining read.

A thoroughly enjoyable, entertaining and illuminating fictional account of Whistler's years in London, focussing largely on his muse Maud Franklin and her plight. (How she put up with Whistler I really can’t understand!) Very little is known about Maud and Plampin does an excellent job in recreating her life and thoughts without stretching the reader’s credulity. The balance between fact and fiction is excellently maintained throughout and I found the novel a real page-turner. Highly recommended.

I loved this novel about the American artist James McNeill Whistler and his model and mistress, Maud Franklin, the ‘Mrs Whistler‘ of the title. I’m familiar with some of his paintings, his Nocturnes and the portrait of his mother, Arrangement in Grey and Black, known as Whistler’s Mother, but knew nothing about his private life. He was painting at the same time as the Impressionists at the end of the nineteenth century and some of his paintings seem to me to be similar in style to their work, but I think he is above all an individual, standing on his own. I love his signature, a stylised butterfly based on his initials, that heads up some of the chapters in Mrs Whistler.

The book covers two episodes in their lives during the years 1876 to 1880 – a bitter feud with his patron Francis Leyland about his fee for painting The Peacock Room, and the libel trial in which Whistler sued the art critic John Ruskin, over a review that dismissed him as a fraud. Ruskin had criticised Whistler’s Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket, accusing him of asking for ‘two hundred guineas for flinging a pot of paint in the public’s face.’ These two events brought Whistler to the point of bankruptcy.

And interwoven is the story of Maud and her relationship with Whistler. Maud, as the title indicates, is the main character, on the borders of society she is not only his model, but also the mother of two of his children – both fostered at birth. Alongside these two are Whistler’s so-called friend, the flamboyant and duplicitous Charles Augustus Howell, known as Owl, and Howell’s mistress Rosa Corder.

It’s a good story, albeit a long one, that moves quite slowly through these four years. I loved all the detail – of Whistler’s impetuous and rebellious character, his relationship with his brother and mother (the real Mrs Whistler), as well as with Maud – and the details of the house he had built in London on Tite Street in Chelsea, which he called the White House, his flight to Venice and most of all about his paintings.

In his Author’s Note Matthew Plampin lists the books he consulted in writing his novel and referenced the online archive of Whistler’s correspondence at the University of Glasgow, which he used, as he puts it, for ‘many of this novel’s best lines.‘He explains that there are gaps in the records – notably about Maud. The American art critic Elizabeth Pennell and her husband Joseph had compiled a biography of Whistler in 1903, but they found that certain details were elusive. They had questions about Howell, about the saga of The Peacock Room and about Maud. Maud was still alive at the time but refused to talk to the Pennells, as they described it: ‘Maud could tell the whole story, but she will not.‘ Plampin’s fictionalised biography fills in some of the gaps in the story, imagining what Maud thought and how she coped with Whistler’s behaviour and attitude towards her and especially about how she felt about her daughters, living with their foster family.

Many thanks to the publishers, The Borough Press for my review copy via NetGalley.

Enjoyed this very much but felt it ended before it should have. Left me wanting more and feeling curious. (Full review coming soon.)

Whistler is a struggling artist who follows his own ideals and ideas with disregard of others, including his patron. His partner and model, Maud , is carried along, can she save their livelihoods?

A nice blend of reality plus imagination - as the author himself admits, the exact circumstances cannot be known as there were no diaries, and ‘Mrs’ Whistler herself and her actions and feelings were never documented at the time.
It seems clear that Whistler was not only a braggart but also naive and always thought that either people were his friends or his enemies and never considered that some may have had dubious reasons for being his friend - see Howell. And were so many of his paintings really destroyed? If so, it was a real shame. But his classic painting of his mother is still to be viewed.
Personally though I cannot agree with his reaction to Burne-Jones having seen a recent exhibition of his work where it demonstrates just how good he was, and how multi-talented, despite his later somewhat fanciful works of angels etc.
I am great fan of Whistler’s moody paintings where the items are barely distinguishable - the low light and almost monochromatic effect are wonderful.
I surprised myself by enjoying the book, but then I like (almost) all the Pre-Raphaelite painting/painters and found this an interesting exposition of just how they lived - so many debts - yet so much entertaining, and the fostering of children was heart-rending to read about.

This a fascinating insight into the life of a brilliant artist. It brings to life the struggles that Whistler endured and overcame. It fully shows the dedication and devotion that Maud showed to her artist through the most difficult times. Mrs Whistler is a must read for lovers of Whistler’s work.

Unfortunately I found this book quite heavy going. I think it would be better for someone who knows the background to the Whistler/Ruskin story. I know nothing about it at all and so the story seemed to lack depth.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

What a very odd book! Even as I selected it to review I thought that the subject matter might be a bit different. The only Whistler I could think of was the artist, James Abbott McNeill Whistler. Further, the only picture I could think of was (of course) Whistler’s Mother. Lo and behold, that is exactly what this is about the relationship between the American artist, and his model and muse, Maud Franklin, also his lover, and mother to two of his childen.

From the outset, I was questioning myself about where exactly this would go and I was a bit put-off by the various characters and how they related to the whole. Slowly, though I became more and more intrigued with Maud. It would appear that ‘Jimmy’ Whistler was a bit of a hedonist; full of himself; talented undoubtedly, but not really a very nice person, and it would appear very easily led – on the road to ruin and bankruptcy.

I loved Maud though. I pitied her and was angry at how Whistler treated her; I was even angrier at how men in general and society as a whole treated women. Even Mrs Francis Leyland was not protected despite her wealth and position in society.

An odd book, but brilliantly told, clever plot and nicely handled. Whistler’s recklessness from the outset spelt disaster but it never lost my interest and I take my hat off to Mr Plampin for handling it all with distinction. A very satisfying read, thank you.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

A well written and intriguing glimpse into the world of the 19th century artist Whistled and his friends and enemies. Some illustrations would have added even more to it.
Thank you to netgalley and Harper Collins for a copy of this book.