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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