In 1871, James Abbott McNeill Whistler painted his mother in profile, seated in their living room in Cheyne Walk, in Chelsea, London. Over the years, several myths have swirled about the circumstances behind its creation. Some say Anna McNeill took the place of a model who didn’t show up. Others say she is seated because it was too uncomfortable for her to stand. The painting is hailed as one of the artist’s most important masterpieces. McNeill is a powerful presence; her black gown and translucent white veil are spectral. Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1, the work’s title, had its American debut in Philadelphia, and now, 142 years later, returns to the city for the first time since then. Works by other artists associated with the Philadelphia area—Alice Neel, Sidney Goodman, Dox Thrash, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Cecilia Beaux—round out the show. —Elena Clavarino