James Abbott McNeill Whistler
1834–1903
James Abbott McNeill Whistler was an American-born, British-based painter and etcher. Averse to sentimentality in painting, he was a leading proponent of the credo "art for art's sake". He took to signing his paintings with a stylized butterfly, possessing a long stinger for a tail. The symbol was apt, for Whistler's art was characterized by a subtle delicacy, in contrast to his combative public persona.
Whistler was born on July 10, 1834 in Lowell, Massachusetts. Whistler spent part of his childhood and most of his mature life in Europe. After three years at the West Point Military Academy, he went in 1855 to Paris, where he worked for two years in Gleyre’s studio and later became an associate of Fantin-Latour, Legros, and Courbet. He exhibited in the Salon des Refusés in 1863, and throughout his career he associated with his more experimental contemporaries.
Whistler was an extrovert who often allowed fact to become merged with fiction. His litigious nature made him a legend in his own lifetime. In 1896, he become President of the Society of British Artists. Whistler referred to himself as "the butterfly" and used a butterfly motif as his signature. Whistler died in 1903 in London.
“James McNeill Whistler’s position in the history of British art is as paradoxical as his personality: flamboyant dandy and wit, he was also a serious craftsman, tirelessly dedicated to the perfection of his art. Having learned much from his French and English contemporaries, he nevertheless emerged as an isolated figure who attracted followers but established no leading style.”
He died in London on July 17, 1903.
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