Issued in 1934, this 3-cent stamp was intended as a tribute to American mothers. The stamp features James McNeill Whistler's iconic painting of his mother, Anna McNeill Whistler. The controversy arose from the significant cropping of the original painting and the addition of a vase of flowers in the lower-left corner. Artists and critics argued that these changes constituted a "mutilation" of the original artwork. The American Artists Professional League sent a telegram of protest to the Postmaster General. Despite the artistic outcry, the stamp was popular with the public and served to further cement the painting's status as a symbol of motherhood. The incident remains a notable example of the artistic compromises often necessary in stamp design and the passionate reactions they can provoke.