One of the world’s most iconic paintings will appear in Australia for the first time at the National Gallery of Victoria.

James Whistler’s Portrait of the artist’s mother from 1871 will be shown in Australia for the first time in March at the National Gallery of Victoria. On loan from the world-famous Musée d’Orsay in Paris, it will be shown exclusively at the NGV. As part of a cultural exchange with the illustrious Parisian gallery, the NGV will be lending Pierre Bonnard’s Siesta (La Sieste) from 1900 to the Musée d’Orsay.

Tony Elwood, Director of the NGV, said that Whistler’s work (also known colloquially as Whistler’s Mother) sits alongside da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Munch’s The scream as “one of a handful of artworks which enjoy universal recognition and admiration”. The fame of this iconic painting is reflected in its numerous appearances within pop culture, including The Mr Bean Movie, The Naked Gun 2½, I Am Legend and four episodes of The Simpsons. It has also been used extensively in advertising.

American painter, printmaker and designer James Whistler was born in 1834 and worked...