19th Century, Liverpool.
As wife to an errant husband, the art patron and industrialist Frederick Leyland, Frances is losing her sense of self. Living in the beautiful Speke Hall with her family, she is shocked when Frederick announces he has commissioned American Artist, James Whistler to paint her portrait and the beautiful old house. Added to that, Whistler is also going to renovate the artwork in their new London home.
But when Frederick, as usual, dismisses his wife’s desires to help, telling her she doesn’t have the taste or style needed, this time her focus is drawn elsewhere when James Whistler, the handsome, brooding American artist, arrives at Speke and sweeps Frances and the family off their feet. Unlike her husband, he not only listens to Frances, he sees her. He sees the Frances that no-one else does.
