In 1862 James Abbott McNeil Whistler painted one of his most celebrated works, Symphony in White No. 1 - and, like his most celebrated work, Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 - better known as 'Whistler's Mother' - this painting has a nickname: 'The White Girl'. It features Joanna Hiffernan, an Irish model whom Whistler met not long after he arrived in London, when she became his muse - and, apparently, more... Until now little attention has been paid to her, but the Royal Academy, in collaboration with the National Gallery of Art in Washington, are staging an exhibition dedicated to her, covering her role in Whistler's life and art and the influence the painting had on other artists. Our talk will be an introduction to the exhibition, putting it in the context of Whistler's career as a whole.