James Abbott McNeill Whistler (July 11, 1834 – July 17, 1903) was an American-born, British-based artist. Averse to sentimentality and moral allusion in painting, he was a leading proponent of the credo, "art for art's sake". His famous signature for his paintings was in the shape of a stylized butterfly possessing a long stinger for a tail. The symbol was apt, for it combined both aspects of his personality—his art was characterized by a subtle delicacy, while his public persona was combative. Finding a parallel between painting and music, Whistler entitled many of his paintings "arrangements", "harmonies", and "nocturnes", emphasizing the primacy of tonal harmony. His most famous painting is Whistler's Mother (1871), 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.
Read more about James Abbott McNeill Whistler: Early Life, Early Career, Later Years, Personal Relationships, Legacy, Honors, Auction Records
Famous quotes containing the words mcneill whistler, abbott, mcneill and/or whistler:
“If the man who paints only the tree, or flower, or other surface he sees before him were an artist, the king of artists would be the photographer. It is for the artist to do something beyond this: in portrait painting to put on canvas something more than the face the model wears for that one day; to paint the man, in short, as well as his features.”
—James Mcneill Whistler (1834–1903)
“It’s all sorts of middle-aged white men in suits—forests of middle-aged men in dark suits. All slightly red-faced from eating and drinking too much.”
—Diane Abbott (b. 1953)
“Ruskin’s counsel: The labour of two days ... is that for which you ask two hundred guineas?
Whistler: No: I ask it for the knowledge of a lifetime.”
—James Mcneill Whistler (1834–1903)
“You should not say it is not good. You should say you do not like it; and then, you know, you’re perfectly safe.”
—James Mcneill Whistler (1834–1903)