James McNeill Whistler , “ Variations in Flesh Color and Green — The Balcony ,” 1864-1879
Japanese woodcuts , which he adapted to his paintings . His brush technique recalled the Impressionists , but his colors were far more muted . His work contrasted sharply with the polished technique of the popular English painters .
a fine art education in Russia . When the railroad was completed and Whistler ’ s father died , the family returned to the States , and little Jimmy entered West Point . He excelled at drawing but no other subjects and had to leave when he failed a chemistry exam . “ Had silicon been a gas ,” he said , “ I would have been a major general .” At 21 , Whistler sailed for Paris to pursue an art career , and never returned to his native land .
Studying under Charles Gleyre and mentored by the great Gustave Courbet , Whistler blossomed into a superb young artist . He could have remained in Paris , among the Impressionists , but he decided to relocate to London , where his loose brushwork and unsentimental subject matter would draw more attention . He was right : while English artists told stern Victorian sermons in paint , Whistler gave his paintings musical titles like “ Symphony in White No . 1 ” and “ An Arrangement in Grey and Black ” ( the original title of “ Whistler ’ s ” Mother ). Like many of his French colleagues , Whistler was drawn to the flat simplicity of
If the art was radical , the artist was scandalous . Whistler was genius at getting his name in the papers and keeping it there . His hair was thick , curly , and jetblack , with a white patch on top like the stripe on a skunk . With his dapper white suits , monocle , and walking stick , he turned heads wherever he strolled in London . He knew all the beautiful people , attended ( and threw ) lavish parties , and had several scandalous love affairs . Gossip columnists delighted in quoting his witty bon mots . Not everyone understood Whistler ’ s work , but several wealthy Londoners commissioned portraits from him . His means were considerable , but he lived beyond them anyway .
His downfall came in 1875 , when he exhibited a virtually abstract painting , “ Nocturne in Black and Gold : The Falling Rocket ,” and sold it for 200 guineas — a little more than the annual salary of a British army officer . A cranky old critic , John Ruskin , condemned Whistler for “ flinging a pot of paint in the public ’ s face .” He sued for libel . Ruskin ’ s lawyer facetiously asked Whistler how long it took him to “ knock off ” a painting , and Whistler replied , “ two days .”
“ And that was the labor for which you charged 200 guineas ?” The lawyer asked .
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