James Abbott McNeill Whistler

American-born, Europe-based (like Benjamin West)

ART FOR ART'S SAKE

Oils

1834 born in Massachusetts

Dad = engineer, family moved to Russia

1847-8 traveled to London with mom, loved the art world

1845-8 art classes in St. Petersburg

James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Dad dies, mom + Whistler move back to US

Tries West Point, terrible academically(Art was his only good subject)

1855 US Europe for the rest of his life

Works as a cartographer

James Abbott McNeill Whistler

James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Adopted the life of a bohemian Paris artist

Taught by Charles Gleyre, who mentored French Impressionists

Befriended Realist painter Gustave Courbet

Learned master painting by himself through copying Rembrandt

Emotional works with limited range of tones

Unlike art academies of the time were teaching, Whistler believed in art for art's sake

Moods and emotions with subtle colors

Beauty, not morals

Named his paintings after music, emphasizing emotions over narrative

James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl (1862)

Arrangement in Grey and Black: The Artist's Mother (1872)

Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket (1874)

Art critique John Ruskin, a Turner supporter, accused Whistler of flinging a pot of paint in the public's face

Whistler successfully sued for libel, but reputation was damaged

Before 1870s when Impressionistsmade Japanese woodblock prints trendy, Whistler showed Far East influences

Admired Chinese art, especially porcelain

Collected porcelain from Oxford and Sloan St. shops, owned by Murray Marks

Chinese things were readily available

Purple and Rose:The Lange Leizenof the Six Marks

1864

1864

The model:Joanna Hiffernan

Whistler's 1860s Mistress, also in Symphony in White paintings

Posed for Whistler's friend Gustave Courbet too

1864

Seated, casual, relaxed

Body = diagonal line,fills painting

Chinese brocade robe,peaches and roses,dark purple underlayer

So basically, this.

1864

Look, purple and rose(s)!Just like the name!

1864

Holds up a brush in her right hand like a painter

Makeup accentuates her dramatic features

Hair pulled back in a Chinese court style

Chinese things on display like in a shop

TEACUP

GINGERJAR

TRAY

FAN w/ crane

Behind her back: Chinese brushes

Background is beige and brown to make her robe and white + blue porcelain more vivid

Lange Leizen refers to delicate ladies on porcelain (Long Eliza in Dutch)

6 marks = a Chinese character for authenticity

White + blue porcelain began in China in 14th century (1300s)

17th century (1600s): exported to Europe

Europeans began copying motifs and styles (hence the need for 6 marks)

British obsession with porcelain came from obsession with tea

Romita Ray says while tea used to be expensive, by the late 18th century it was a national beverage

In 1864, 90% oftea in England came from China

Tea drove British imperialism

In earlier times, England battled with the Dutch for control of tea exports (hence the use of the Dutch term Lange Leizen)

Whistler said he wanted art for art's sake, but art historians still examine it in its original context

Viewers would have been aware of references to tea