James Abbott McNeill Whistler was an American artist who worked primarily in the United Kingdom. His birthplace in Massachusetts is now a museum dedicated to him. His father was a talented train driver and the family moved to St. Petersburg in 1842, because of a good job offer. Whistler struggled as a child with irascible fits, bouts of illness, as well as periods of extreme fatigue - drawing helped him stay alert. He received private art lessons and attended the Russian Academy of Art at age eleven. In 1844 he met the Scottish painter Sir William Allan, who called him a "rare genius." His brother-in-law, surgeon and painter Sir Francis Seymour Haden, spurred him on to a career in painting and gave him his first set of watercolors. After his father's death, the family returned to the United States and Whistler applied to the United States Military Academy, where, however, he became known more for his sarcastic comments and dislike of authority. However, he did learn cartography there, which helped him land his first job: pattern draftsman for military and naval purposes.
In 1855 he traveled to Paris and studied there briefly, but he preferred to study on his own and copy works of art at the Louvre. There he also met the French painter Henri Henri Fantin-Latour, who in turn introduced him to Gustave Courbet, leader of the Realism movement, and his circle. Among them were Charles Baudelaire, whose theories greatly influenced Whistler, and Théophile Gautier, who inspired him to see music in art. Many of his works bear names such as "Arrangements," "Harmonies," and "Nocturnes." Among his most famous works is "Arrangement in Gray and Black No. 1," better known as "Whistler's Mother," which is on display at the Louvre Abu Dhabi. At the time, the work was negatively received for its lack of sentimentality. Whistler is generally considered averse to sentimentality and moral allusions in paintings, being an advocate of "art for art's sake." The artist also had a special interest in Asian art, studying ceramics, which is how he came up with his characteristic signature, reminiscent of a butterfly.
After the death of his mother in 1881, he took his mother's maiden name as a middle name. He became a member, and later president, of the Society of British Artists, even Queen Victoria expressed her admiration for the artist's illustrations. He made other important friendships with Monet, Rodin and Toulouse-Lautrec. Overall, he counts as an inspiration of several generations of artists in Europe and the U.S. and had lively exchanges with Impressionists, Realists and Symbolists.
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.jpg "Nocturne in Black and Gold, the Falling Rocket by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 (Whistler")
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.jpg "Blue and Silver: Trouville, c.1865 by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Nocturne: Cremorne Lights by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Nocturne in Grey and Gold: Chelsea Snow by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Nocturne in Blue and Silver by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Nocturne: Blue and Gold--Southampton Water by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Harmony in Flesh Colour and Red by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Man smoking a pipe, c.1859 by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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 (see also 106898) - (MeisterDrucke-205236).jpg "Symphony in White, No. III, 1865-7 by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl, 1862 by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Nocturne: Blue and Gold - Old Battersea Bridge, c1872-5 by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Green and Blue: The Dancer by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Nocturne in Blue and Gold: Valparaiso by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Harmony in Blue and Silver: Beaching The Boat, Etretat by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Nocturne: Blue and Silver by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "The Princess from the Land of Porcelain by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Nocturne: Blue and Silver—Battersea Reach by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "The Ocean Wave, 1883-1884 by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Nocturne, Blue and Gold, St. Mark")
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.jpg "St. Ives: Sunset by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Sunset: Venice by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Portrait of Theodore Duret by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Square Canister with Expanding Neck by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Vase with slightly bulging body by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "A Foggy Night in London by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Vase with slightly bulging body by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Sketch of a Woman by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Oviform Ginger Jar with Bell-shaped cover by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1454919).jpg "The Little Putney, No. 2 by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "The Princess from the Land of Porcelain by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Arrangement in Grey and Black No.1 (Portrait of the Artist")
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 (see also 88677) - (MeisterDrucke-151305).jpg "Symphony in White, No. III by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "The Little Red Glove by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-252503).jpg "A Fire at Pomfret by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Street at Saverne by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-249945).jpg "Nude Figure Reclining, c.1885-88 by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Purple and Rose: The Lange Leizen of the Six Marks by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "The Thames in Ice by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Sea and Rain by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "The Little Velvet Dress by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Harmony in Pink and Gray - Lady Meux by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "The Little Nude Model Reading by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "The Model Resting: Printing Plate/Block by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Attendant que le linge sèche! Cologne by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-641819).jpg "Old Putney Bridge by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1712183).jpg "Canal in Venice (Tobacco Warehouse) by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "The Boy Charlie Hanson by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1334556).jpg "Fruit Stall, from the Second Venice Set (A Set of Twenty-six Etchings) by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Drouet by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1716067).jpg "The Two Doorways. First Venice Series Plate 2 (of 12) by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "The Rhine, near Worms and Oppenheim by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Late Picquet by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Thames Police by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "U.S. Coast Survey...Reconnaissance of Smith")
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.jpg "Nocturne in Blue and Silver: Chelsea by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "At George Sauer")
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 (see also 324690) - (MeisterDrucke-268899).jpg "St. James")
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.jpg "Wild West: The Orator by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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_1872-73_-_(MeisterDrucke-1470728).jpg "Arrangement in Grey and Black, No. 2: Portrait of Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) 1872-73 by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "At Maladrie")
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.jpg "The Riva, No. 1 by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-300278).jpg "The White House by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Becquet by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Etching Plate: The Pool by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-570038).jpg "Early Morning, Battersea by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Lindsay Row, Chelsea by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "A la Ferme de Maladrie by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Nocturne: The River at Battersea by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Nocturne in Blue and Silver: The Lagoon, Venice by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Early Morning, Battersea by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "The Kitchen by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1258449).jpg "Battersea Dawn (Cadogan Pier) by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Study of a Young Girl")
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.jpg "The Punt by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Old Putney Bridge, 1879 by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Florence Leyland by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Square House, Amsterdam by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Robert Barr by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "The Garden, 1879-1880 by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Variation in Purple and Green by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "A Street in Venice by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Isle de la Cité, Paris by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1656982).jpg "Map of the Western Hemisphere (from Sketchbook) by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "The Bucking Horse, Wild West by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Etching Plate: Millbank by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "The Landscape with the Horse by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Drury Lane Rags by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Nocturne by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-232741).jpg "The Shell by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Bird-Cages, Drury Lane by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Nude Model, Reclining by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "The Boy by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "The")
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.jpg "Study No. 1: Mr. Thomas Way by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Opal Beach by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "The Traghetto, No.I by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Harmony in Green and Rose: The Music Room by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "The Toilet by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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.jpg "Old Hungerford Bridge by James Abbott McNeill Whistler")
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