Whistler

An introduction to the work of American artist, James Whistler (1834-1903), one of the most original artists of the late nineteenth century. Flamboyant dandy and ebullient publicist, friend of Oscar Wilde, Whistler was also a meticulous craftsman dedicated to the perfection of his art. Whistler was born in America but trained in Paris. He began as a realist painter but gradually developed a startlingly original method of composition, refining his technique to the barest essentials. He was one of the first to argue that the abstract ingredients of a painting - the lines, shapes, colors and tones - could in themselves be the subject; he entitled the portrait of his mother "Arrangement in Grey and Black". This book provides a survey of carefully selected works, illustrated with 48 full-page color plates and accompanying notes