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What is James Abbott McNeill Whistler known for?
James McNeill Whistler, in full James Abbott McNeill Whistler, (born July 11, 1834, Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S.—died July 17, 1903, London, England), American-born artist noted for his paintings of nocturnal London, for his striking and stylistically advanced full-length portraits, and for his brilliant etchings and ...
How many paintings did Whistler paint?
He was adept in many media, with over 500 paintings, as well as etchings, pastels, watercolors, drawings, and lithographs.
What style of painter was Whistler?
Modern artAestheticismTonalismJames Abbott McNeill Whistler/Periods
What did Whistler create without his patron's permission?
James McNeill Whistler created the famous “Peacock Room” for a wealthy patron. But the patron never actually wanted it. In 1876, shipping magnate Frederick Leyland left his London home.
Why is Whistler so important?
The Whistler area was often a waypoint for First Nation trading routes between the Squamish and Lil'wat Nations, as it was rich with wildlife and resources. At one time, tens of thousands of Coast Salish First Nations people lived, traded and thrived in the areas between Vancouver, Howe Sound and Lillooet.
What is the oldest painting on record?
three wild pigsArchaeologists believe they have discovered the world's oldest-known representational artwork: three wild pigs painted deep in a limestone cave on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi at least 45,500 years ago. The ancient images, revealed this week in the journal Science Advances, were found in Leang Tedongnge cave.
Is Whistler considered an impressionist?
James Whistler: American Impressionist Painter, Aesthetic Movement.
What is unique about Whistler?
Scenic flight over the snow-capped mountains You'll see Whistler like you've never seen it before – spot ancient glaciers, hidden lakes and cool ice formations from the comfort of a top-class helicopter.
Why is Whistler not considered an impressionist?
However he never made the same use of bright colours, and few of his paintings are as rich with light. He was strongly influenced by orientalism or japonisme, as later became popular among the French Impressionists. In this sense he was a pre-Impressionist who anticipated several of the key features of Impressionism.
Who did Whistler sue for libel?
RuskinWhistler sued Ruskin for libel. The case was heard at the Old Bailey. Over the two day hearing many figures from the art world gave evidence and the popular press discussed the value of art. Whistler's painting had subverted the idea that art should have some moral or didactic purpose.
In what ways did Whistler influence the development of modern art?
His paintings, etchings, and pastels epitomize the modern penchant for creating "art for art's sake," an axiom celebrated by Whistler and others in the Aesthetic movement. They also represent one of the earliest shifts from traditional representational art to abstraction that is at the heart of much of modern art.
When Whistler said art should be independent of all claptrap What did he mean?
Art should be independent of all claptrap—should stand alone, and appeal to the artistic sense of eye or ear, without confounding this with emotions entirely foreign to it, as devotion, pity, love, patriotism and the like.
How many paintings did Edvard Munch paint in 1893?
At the heart of Munch's achievement is his series of paintings on love and death. Its original nucleus was formed by six pictures exhibited in 1893, and the series had grown to 22 works by the time it was first exhibited under the title Frieze of Life at the Berlin Secession in 1902.
How many times was the scream painting stolen?
The Scream by Edvard Munch is among the most iconic images of modern art. Of 4 versions of the painting, 2 have been stolen in major museum heists.
Why is Whistler not considered an impressionist?
However he never made the same use of bright colours, and few of his paintings are as rich with light. He was strongly influenced by orientalism or japonisme, as later became popular among the French Impressionists. In this sense he was a pre-Impressionist who anticipated several of the key features of Impressionism.
Has The Scream painting been stolen?
On May 7, 1994, Norway's most famous painting, “The Scream” by Edvard Munch, is recovered almost three months after it was stolen from a museum in Oslo.
What is Whistler's most famous painting?
His most famous painting is Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 (1871) , commonly known as Whistler's Mother, the revered and oft-parodied portrait of motherhood. Whistler influenced the art world and the broader culture of his time with his artistic theories and his friendships with leading artists and writers.
Where did Whistler live during the Ruskin trial?
During the Ruskin trial (see below), Whistler claimed St. Petersburg, Russia, as his birthplace, declaring, "I shall be born when and where I want, and I do not choose to be born in Lowell.". In 1837, the Whistlers moved from Lowell to Stonington, Connecticut, where George Whistler worked for the Stonington Railroad.
How many of the Whistlers' children died?
Sadly, during this period, three of George and Anna Whistlers' children died in infancy. In 1839, the Whistlers' fortunes improved considerably when George Whistler received the appointment that would make his fortune and fame - that of chief engineer for the Boston & Albany Railroad.
Where was James Whistler born?
James Abbott Whistler was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, on July 10, 1834, the first child of Anna Matilda McNeill and George Washington Whistler, and the brother of Confederate surgeon Dr. William McNeill Whistler. His father was a railroad engineer, and Anna was his second wife. James lived the first three years of his life in a modest house ...
Was James Whistler an aristocrat?
In later years, James Whistler played up his mother's connection to the American South and its roots, and presented himself as an impoverished Southern aristocrat (although it remains unclear to what extent he truly sympathized with the Southern cause during the American Civil War).
Who was James Whistler?
James Abbott McNeill Whistler (/ˈwɪslər/; July 10, 1834 – July 17, 1903) was an American artist, active during the American Gilded Age and based primarily in the United Kingdom. He was averse to sentimentality and moral allusion in painting, and was a leading proponent of the credo "art for art's sake". His famous signature for his paintings was in ...
What did Whistler do in Paris?
Whistler arrived in Paris in 1855, rented a studio in the Latin Quarter, and quickly adopted the life of a bohemian artist. Soon he had a French girlfriend, a dressmaker named Héloise. He studied traditional art methods for a short time at the Ecole Impériale and at the atelier of Marc Charles Gabriel Gleyre. The latter was a great advocate of the work of Ingres, and impressed Whistler with two principles that he used for the rest of his career: line is more important than color and that black is the fundamental color of tonal harmony. Twenty years later, the Impressionists would largely overthrow this philosophy, banning black and brown as "forbidden colors" and emphasizing color over form. Whistler preferred self-study and enjoying the café life. While letters from home reported his mother's efforts at economy, Whistler spent freely, sold little or nothing in his first year in Paris, and was in steady debt. To relieve the situation, he took to painting and selling copies from works at the Louvre and finally moved to cheaper quarters. As luck would have it, the arrival in Paris of George Lucas, another rich friend, helped stabilize Whistler's finances for a while. In spite of a financial respite, the winter of 1857 was a difficult one for Whistler. His poor health, made worse by excessive smoking and drinking, laid him low.
How did Whistler influence artists?
During his life, he affected two generations of artists, in Europe and in the United States. Whistler had significant contact and exchanged ideas and ideals with Realist, Impressionist, and Symbolist painters. Famous protégés for a time included Walter Sickert and writer Oscar Wilde. His Tonalism had a profound effect on many American artists, including John Singer Sargent, William Merritt Chase, Henry Salem Hubbell and Willis Seaver Adams (whom he befriended in Venice ). Another significant influence was upon Arthur Frank Mathews, whom Whistler met in Paris in the late 1890s. Mathews took Whistler's Tonalism to San Francisco, spawning a broad use of that technique among turn-of-the-century California artists. As American critic Charles Caffin wrote in 1907:
How long did Whistler work in Venice?
He wrote to a friend, "I have learned to know a Venice in Venice that the others never seem to have perceived, and which, if I bring back with me as I propose, will far more than compensate for all annoyances delays & vexations of spirit." The three-month assignment stretched to fourteen months. During this exceptionally productive period, Whistler finished over fifty etchings, several nocturnes, some watercolors, and over 100 pastels—illustrating both the moods of Venice and its fine architectural details. Furthermore, Whistler influenced the American art community in Venice, especially Frank Duveneck (and Duveneck's 'boys') and Robert Blum who emulated Whistler's vision of the city and later spread his methods and influence back to America.
What did Whistler do in his childhood?
After moving to St. Petersburg to join his father a year later, the young Whistler took private art lessons, then enrolled in the Imperial Academy of Arts at age eleven. The young artist followed the traditional curriculum of drawing from plaster casts and occasional live models, revelled in the atmosphere of art talk with older peers, and pleased his parents with a first-class mark in anatomy. In 1844, he met the noted artist Sir William Allan, who came to Russia with a commission to paint a history of the life of Peter the Great. Whistler's mother noted in her diary, "the great artist remarked to me 'Your little boy has uncommon genius, but do not urge him beyond his inclination.'"
What was Whistler's first painting?
Reflecting the banner of realism of his adopted circle, Whistler painted his first exhibited work, La Mere Gerard in 1858. He followed it by painting At the Piano in 1859 in London, which he adopted as his home, while also regularly visiting friends in France. At the Piano is a portrait composed of his niece and her mother in their London music room, an effort which clearly displayed his talent and promise. A critic wrote, " [despite] a recklessly bold manner and sketchiness of the wildest and roughest kind, [it has] a genuine feeling for colour and a splendid power of composition and design, which evince a just appreciation of nature very rare amongst artists." The work is unsentimental and effectively contrasts the mother in black and the daughter in white, with other colors kept restrained in the manner advised by his teacher Gleyre. It was displayed at the Royal Academy the following year, and in many exhibits to come.
How did Whistler's father die?
His father, however, died from cholera at the age of 49, and the Whistler family moved back to his mother's home town of Pomfret, Connecticut.
Why did Whistler leave West Point?
His departure from West Point seems to have been precipitated by a failure in a che mistry exam where he was asked to describe silicon and began by saying, "Silicon is a gas ." As he himself put it later: "If silicon were a gas, I would have been a general one day". However, a separate anecdote suggests misconduct in drawing class as the reason for Whistler's departure.
American, 1834–1903
James Abbott McNeill Whistler changed the course of art history with his radical techniques and adoption of Asian design principles, which emphasized a two-dimensional flattening of painted forms and their arrangement into abstract patterns. A …
Notable Works
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What is aesthetic movement?
The aesthetic movement was a late nineteenth century movement that championed pure beauty and ‘art for art’s sake’ emphasising the …
What is the meaning of Luminism?
Luminism means roughly, the painting of light and is applied specifically to the American landscape painters of the Hudson River …
How many portraits are in forgotten faces?
Forgotten Faces comprises seventeen portraits or figure paintings and three sculptures ranging between 1896 – a year before the foundation …
Who was James Whistler?
James Abbott McNeill Whistler (; July 11, 1834 – July 17, 1903) was an American artist active during the American Gilded Age and based primarily in the United Kingdom. He eschewed sentimentality and moral allusion in painting and was a leading proponent of the credo "art for art's sake".
Who urged artists to search for inspiration in the dirt on walls or the streaked patterns?
Ever since Leonardo da Vinci urged artists to search for inspiration in the dirt on walls or the streaked patterns …
What was Whistler's reputation?
During the late 1880s and 1890s Whistler achieved recognition as an artist of international stature. His paintings were acquired by public collections, he received awards at exhibitions, and he was elected to such prestigious professional associations as the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Munich, and the Legion d'Honneur.
What was Whistler's most famous painting?
During the early 1870s he painted his famous "Noctur ne" series, views of the Thames. Whistler's Peacock Room, or Harmony in Blue and Gold (1876-1877, Freer Gallery of Art), done for Leyland, exerted a strong influence on the Aesthetic movement's interior design.
Where did Whistler paint?
In 1866 he went to South America, where he painted seascapes in Valparaiso, Chile. After returning to Europe he commenced work on a series of monumental figure compositions for Frederick R. Leyland called the Six Projects (Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.), that reflect the influence of the English artist Albert Moore. In 1869 Whistler began to sign his paintings with a butterfly monogram composed of his initials. In 1872 he painted his well-known Arrangement in Grey and Black, No. 1: Portrait of the Artist's Mother (Louvre, Paris), that was later acquired by the French government. During the early 1870s he painted his famous "Nocturne" series, views of the Thames. Whistler's Peacock Room, or Harmony in Blue and Gold (1876-1877, Freer Gallery of Art), done for Leyland, exerted a strong influence on the Aesthetic movement's interior design.
When did Whistler become president?
In 1886 he was elected president of the Society of British Artists, but despite some successes his revolutionary ideas ran afoul of the conservative members, and he was voted out of office within two years. During the late 1880s and 1890s Whistler achieved recognition as an artist of international stature.
Who sued Whistler for libel?
In 1877 the critic John Ruskin denounced Whistler's Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket (ca. 1875, Detroit Institute of Arts) as being tantamount to "flinging a pot of paint in the public's face.". The artist successfully sued Ruskin for libel the following year, but was only awarded one farthing in damages.
Who was Whistler's friend?
There Whistler was influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites, and he befriended Dante Gabriel Rossetti. He achieved international notoriety when Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl (1943.6.2) was rejected at both the Royal Academy and the Salon, but was a major attraction at the famous Salon des Refusés in 1863.
What did Whistler believe?
Unlike the typical focus on high realism of his contemporaries, Whistler always emphasised the impression of art and believed that all art should strive towards the conditions of music. Hence, many of his paintings are titled with terms from music theory – such as nocturne or symphony.
What is the final of the London Nocturnes?
It is the final of the London Nocturnes and displays a firework display in a foggy night sky, again with little detail but individual streaks of light breaking the otherwise dark palette.
What did Whistler emphasize?
Whistler emphasised simplicity and the economy of means, the importance of technique, and harmony. He insisted that the artist should interpret what he saw rather than depict it ‘as it is’. He was also a strong theorist, publishing a range of material on art theory and advocating his vision to the best possible degree.
When was the first Nocturne painted?
This is the first of Whistler’s popular Nocturnes, painted in 1871. Rather than depicting a realistic vision of the Thames, he tried to capture the overwhelming beauty of the Thames by night. By titling it ‘nocturne’ he separated the work from any sense of subjectivity it may have had from the painter and makes it entirely artistic through his use of technique.
Did Whistler believe in the gospel?
As such, he firmly believed in the gospel of doing ‘art for art’s sake’ and befriended many prominent decadents, among them Oscar Wilde – but he also had a habit of making enemies. After a lecture by Wilde, Whistler believed the dandy was poking fun at him, resulting in a lasting feud. Allegedly Basil, the painter who is murdered in Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, is partly an ironic depiction of Whistler.
What did James Whistler do?
Instead, when he returned to London, Whistler brought radical ideas about modern painting that scandalized academicians. He helped spread movements like Impressionism , which experimented with “impressions” of light and color, and Japonism, which popularized aesthetic elements of Japanese art and culture.
Why did Whistler use musical titles?
James Abbott McNeill Whistler used musical titles as an opportunity to direct the viewer’s attention towards the aesthetic components of his work , particularly the color palette, and to indicate the absence of any deeper meaning. 6.
What is James McNeill Whistler famous for?
Most famous for the iconic portrait of his mother, James Abbott McNeill Whistler is also remembered for stirring controversy with his paintings and his personality. James Abbott McNeill Whistler made a name for himself in nineteenth-century Europe for a daring approach to art that was as compelling—and controversial—as his public persona.
How did Whistler paint his Nocturnes?
By the light of day, he would then paint the Nocturnes in his studio, using layers of thinned paint to loosely suggest the presence of shorelines, boats, and distant figures.
When was Harmony in Flesh Colour and Red by James Abbott McNeill Whistler made?
Whistler Introduced A New Method Of Naming Paintings. Harmony in Flesh Colour and Red by James Abbott McNeill Whistler, c. 1869, via Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA. Like the portrait of his mother, most of Whistler’s paintings are named not for their subjects, but with musical terms like “arrangement,” “harmony,” or “nocturne.”.
Where is Whistler's art?
Despite never returning to the states after his youth, James Abbott McNeill Whistler is fondly revered within the American art history canon. In fact, much of his work is currently being preserved in American collections, including the Detroit Institute of Art and the Smithsonian Institution, and his paintings have appeared on US postal stamps.
Where did James Whistler live?
Born to American parents in Massachusetts in 1834, James Abbott McNeill Whistler spent his early childhood in New England. By the time he was eleven, however, Whistler’s family had moved to St. Petersburg, Russia, where the young artist enrolled in the Imperial Academy of Arts while his father worked as an engineer.
Overview
James Abbott McNeill Whistler RBA was an American painter active during the American Gilded Age and based primarily in the United Kingdom. He eschewed sentimentality and moral allusion in painting and was a leading proponent of the credo "art for art's sake". His signature for his paintings took the shape of a stylized butterfly possessing a long stinger for a tail. The symbol combined bo…
Early life
James Abbott Whistler was born in Lowell, Massachusetts on July 10, 1834, the first child of Anna McNeill Whistler and George Washington Whistler, and the brother of Confederate surgeon Dr. William McNeill Whistler. His father was a railroad engineer, and Anna was his second wife. James lived the first three years of his life in a modest house at 243 Worthen Street in Lowell. The house …
Early career
In 1861, after returning to Paris for a time, Whistler painted his first famous work, Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl. The portrait of his mistress and business manager Joanna Hiffernan was created as a simple study in white; however, others saw it differently. The critic Jules-Antoine Castagnary thought the painting an allegory of a new bride's lost innocence. Others linked it to Wilki…
Mature career
In 1866, Whistler decided to visit Valparaíso, Chile, a journey that has puzzled scholars, although Whistler stated that he did it for political reasons. Chile was at war with Spain and perhaps Whistler thought it a heroic struggle of a small nation against a larger one, but no evidence supports that theory. What the journey did produce was Whistler's first three nocturnal paintings—which he te…
Later years
After the trial, Whistler received a commission to do twelve etchings in Venice. He eagerly accepted the assignment, and arrived in the city with girlfriend Maud, taking rooms in a dilapidated palazzo they shared with other artists, including John Singer Sargent. Although homesick for London, he adapted to Venice and set about discovering its character. He did his best to distract himself from th…
Personal relationships
Whistler had a distinctive appearance, short and slight, with piercing eyes and a curling mustache, often sporting a monocle and the flashy attire of a dandy. He affected a posture of self-confidence and eccentricity. He often was arrogant and selfish toward friends and patrons. A constant self-promoter and egoist, he relished shocking friends and enemies. Though he could be droll and flippant …
Legacy
Whistler was inspired by and incorporated many sources in his art, including the work of Rembrandt, Velázquez, and ancient Greek sculpture to develop his own highly influential and individual style. He was adept in many media, with over 500 paintings, as well as etchings, pastels, watercolors, drawings, and lithographs. Whistler was a leader in the Aesthetic Movement, promoting, writi…
Honors
Whistler achieved worldwide recognition during his lifetime:
• 1884: elected an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Munich.
• 1892: made an officer of the Légion d'honneur in France.
• 1898: became a charter member and first president, International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers.