J Mcneill Whistler
1834 - 1903
James Abbott McNeill Whistler (July 10, 1834 – July 17, 1903) was an American painter and printmaker active during the American Gilded Age, primarily based in the UK. He rejected sentimentality in art, promoting "art for art's sake." His signature was a stylized butterfly with a stinger, reflecting his delicate art and combative personality. He often named his works with musical terms like "arrangements" and "nocturnes," focusing on tonal harmony. His most famous work, Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 (1871), commonly known as Whistler's Mother, is a celebrated and frequently parodied portrait.
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Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, Whistler was the first child of Anna McNeill Whistler and George Washington Whistler. He later adopted his mother's maiden name. Moving to Paris in 1855, he embraced the bohemian lifestyle, studying briefly at the École Impériale and under Charles Gleyre. He was influenced by Ingres' focus on line over color and considered black fundamental to tonal harmony.
Despite financial struggles and poor health exacerbated by excessive smoking and drinking, Whistler's fortunes improved in 1858. He traveled through France and the Rhineland, producing "The French Set" of etchings. That year, he befriended Henri Fantin-Latour and joined Gustave Courbet's circle, including artists like Édouard Manet. Whistler was influenced by Charles Baudelaire's ideas on modern art, which emphasized portraying life faithfully, avoiding mythology and allegory.
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