James McNeill Whistler
- Introduction
- 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 was averse to sentimentality and moral allusion in painting, and 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 both aspects of his personality: his art is marked by a subtle delicacy, while his public persona was combative. He found a parallel between painting and music, and entitled many of his paintings "arrangements", "harmonies", and "nocturnes", emphasizing the primacy of tonal harmony. His most famous painting, Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 (1871), commonly known as Whistler's Mother, is a revered and often parodied portrait of motherhood. Whistler influenced the art world and the broader culture of his time with his theories and his friendships with other leading artists and writers.
- Wikidata
- Q203643
- Introduction
- American painter, printmaker, and designer, active in England. He developed from the Realism of Courbet and Manet to become one of the leading members of The Aesthetic Movement and an exponent of Japonisme. He adopted non-specific or musical titles for his works the emphasis of which was often mood or the manipulation of paint across the surface, rather than the actual subject depicted. He is best know for his work "Arrangement in Grey and Black No 1: Portrait of the Artist's Mother" (1871), and his subsequent portraits using simple tonal colors. In 1877, his work "Nocture in Black and Gold: the Falling Rocket," caused a sensation for its blatant abstract qualitites that shocked art critics. In his later life, he created an ambitious series of etchings. American painter. Comment on works: Portraits, Landscapes
- Nationality
- American
- Gender
- Male
- Roles
- Artist, Designer, Collector, Landscapist, Painter
- Names
- James McNeill Whistler, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, James Abbott MacNeil Whistler, James Abbott Mcneill Whistler, James A. McNeill Whistler, Dzhems Mak Neĭlʹ Uistler, Whistler, J. McNeill Whistler, J. A. McN. Whistler, J. A. MacNeill Whistler, James McNeil Whistler, James Abbott McNeil Whistler, James Mac Neill Whistler, James Mc Neill Whistler, J. A. M. N. Whistler, jas. mcNeal whistler, jas. mcneil whistler, j. a. whistler, J. Mc Neill Whistler, j. mcneil whistler, J. Mc. N. Whistler, J. McN. Whistler, j. mc N. Whistler, J.Mc N. Whistler, J.M. Neill Whistler, J. M. N. Whistler, J.M.N. Whistler, James Abbott Whistler, James Mc. Neill Whistler, whistler j. mc.N., Whistler J.McN., whistler j.m.n.
- Ulan
- 500012432
Exhibitions
-
Artist’s Choice: Trisha Donnelly
Nov 9, 2012–Jul 28, 2013
MoMA
-
Adding It Up: Print Acquisitions 1970–1995
May 27–Sep 5, 1995
MoMA
-
Impresario: Ambroise Vollard
Jun 6–Sep 6, 1977
MoMA
-
The Natural Paradise: Painting in America 1800–1950
Sep 29–Nov 30, 1976
MoMA
-
Masters of British Painting, 1800–1950
Oct 3–Dec 2, 1956
MoMA
-
James McNeill Whistler has
15 exhibitionsonline.
If you would like to reproduce an image of a work of art in MoMA’s collection, or an image of a MoMA publication or archival material (including installation views, checklists, and press releases), please contact Art Resource (publication in North America) or Scala Archives (publication in all other geographic locations).
All requests to license audio or video footage produced by MoMA should be addressed to Scala Archives at [email protected]. Motion picture film stills or motion picture footage from films in MoMA’s Film Collection cannot be licensed by MoMA/Scala. For licensing motion picture film footage it is advised to apply directly to the copyright holders. For access to motion picture film stills please contact the Film Study Center. More information is also available about the film collection and the Circulating Film and Video Library.
If you would like to reproduce text from a MoMA publication, please email [email protected]. If you would like to publish text from MoMA’s archival materials, please fill out this permission form and send to [email protected].
This record is a work in progress. If you have additional information or spotted an error, please send feedback to [email protected].