Product Description
James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903), the American-born artist who spent much of his working life in London, played a crucial role in the development of 20th-century modernism. His art was profoundly influenced by the written word, especially the writings of Baudelaire, Swinburne, Mallarmé, and Edgar Allan Poe. This book examines literary and other aspects of Whistler's modernity, discusses his relationship with English and French painting, and sheds new light on his famous libel trial with art critic John Ruskin. ... Read more

Product Description
Featuring contributions by Nicolai Cikovsky, Jr., Ruth Fine, and Genevieve Lacambre, this catalogue of the largest exhibition devoted to Whistler since his death in 1903 reveals the full range and extraordinary variety of his work, portraying him as a dedicated teacher and critic and a central figure in the Victorian art world. Chronology; notes. 333 illustrations, 205 in color. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Best Whistler Book I've Seen
I had been looking for a Whistler book, and this was simply the best one that I was able to track down.It includes the color images of the artist's best-klnown works, including his portraits, nocturnes, and etchings.The text is informative and comprehensive.My only complaint is that many of the images were smaller than I would have liked.When I get a book like this, the artwork is the main draw--not the text.More full-page images would have been nice.

The artist as the perfectionist
This book does an excellent job of exploring the many contradictions of the life and career of an artist who was both his own biggest fan/promoter and his own harshest critic. The book presents the many talents (artist,etcher,interior designer to name a few) and his many flaws (vain, arrogant, bitter and self serving attitude) while still showing the human side of the artist . The illustrations are complete and a glorious showing of both his popular works as well as his less known pieces. The triad of this book, "Diabolical Designs" and "Beyond the Myth" reveal an artist who deserves much more critical and popular attention. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: London John LanePublication date: 1912Subjects: Whistler, James McNeill, 1834-1903Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
This small book illustrates three sets of etchings by James McNeill Whistler. The influence of the French Realist tradition along with Rembrandt and the Dutch school are clearly apparent in the so-called French Set of 1858, a series of twelve figure studies and village scenes from early in his career in Paris. In London, Whistler produced an evocative series of sixteen etchings of the Thames and its surrounds: its people and haunts – the land, water, and cityscapes. The Thames Set was completed in 1861. In September 1879 Whistler set off for Venice to spend many months making etchings of its palaces and seascapes. The Venice Set and a later Venice series are notable for their beautiful painterly, poetic qualities – sublime visions rather than depictions of the everyday. ... Read more

Product Description
Whistler ranks among the greatest of modern etchers, and this compilation features the best of his work in this genre. Here are 149 outstanding examples of his etchings and drypoints, most in the original size and reproduced directly from rare original prints. Appealing subjects include views of wharfs and bridges; street scenes from London, Amsterdam, and Venice; and portraits: "Black Lion Wharf," "The Storm," "The Village Sweet-Shop," "Old Battersea Bridge," "Nocturne," and many others. The editor has provided an insightful introduction and an explanatory note for each print, making this volume an excellent reference for those already acquainted with Whistler's etchings as well as a fine introduction for others. Unabridged republication of the work originally published by Dover in 1975. 149 black-and-white illustrations.
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Customer Reviews (1)

Master Printmaker
If you are a printmaker or a student of printmaking, you MUST have this book. Katharine Lochnan tells Whistler's life story in detail, within the context of his time and with clarity. The many superb reproductions are a gold mine of the etcher's art. While Whistler was an expatriate most of his life and living between Paris and London, America still claims him as one of the greatest of all U.S. artists. If anyone has any doubts, this book illustrates why Whistler's prints rank with those ofGoya, Blake and yes, even Rembrandt van Rijn. This is the Yale/Ago exhibition catalog of 1984, NOT the Dover publication mentioned in the product description under Editorial Reviews. ... Read more

Product Description
James McNeill Whistler was a leading figure in the revival of lithography in the late 19th century.His lithographs focus upon scenes and themes earlier explored in his paintings, etchings, and pastels. Using transfer paper, he created the effects of drawing, and with a few lines was able to convey a total picture. Working with the London printer Thomas Way and his son T. R. Way, Whistler initially hoped the lithographs would bring him a mass audience and financial security; later he hoped connoisseurs would collect his quiet, understated images as precious objects of enduring value.

Steven Block began assembling his important collection in the late 1970s. It includes early experiments, portraits of friends and family, studio models, shop and street scenes, and sketches of the Thames and its bridges. ... Read more

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In 1871 James McNeill Whistler painted the famous portrait of his mother, "Arrangement in Grey and Black: Portrait of the Painter's Mother". It enjoyed a colourful history: threatened by rejection at the Royal Academy, pawned by the artist, bought by the Musee du Luxembourg in Paris, it now hangs in the Musee d'Orsay, Paris. Through exhibitions, publications and caricatures, it has become one of the most familiar images of the century, and a great American icon. This illustrated volume looks at the genesis and history of the portrait, and examines the relationship between mother and son that inspired the painting. It explores the growth of Whistler's "Mother" as a potent image, its appearance inspiring mass pilgrimages and adulation, and looks more broadly at the portrait of the artist's mother as a productive source of artistic inspiration following Whistler. The book is published to coincide with the centenary of Whistler's death in 2003, marked by a range of exhibitions internationally. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Interesting book, if you speak french..
It is a good look at the making of, the story behind and how Whistler's portrait became an icon in our society. However, there are frequent quotes in French, without translation. So unless you speak fluent French, I would not recommend this book. ... Read more

Product Description
36 page oversized paperback 14 by 10 inch format with full color prints of the artist's work. One of the 25 books in the Series THE GREAT ARTISTS, A Library of Their Lives, Times and Paintings. ... Read more

Product Description
In September 1879, James McNeill Whistler boarded the Venice-bound night train in Paris. He was forty-five years old and bankrupt. What was to be a three-month stay in the Italian city-long enough to complete a set of twelve etchings-stretched to fourteen months. When Whistler returned to London, he brought back over fifty magnificent etchings and a hundred pastels, far in excess of the original commission. In Palaces in the Night, Margaret F. MacDonald looks at this key period in Whistler's career, examining his unique vision of Venice and his development of the medium of etching. She shows how he reestablished himself in the art world of London and Paris, turning disaster and disgrace into profit and prestige. Lavishly illustrated with some of the most beautiful and intriguing images Whistler ever produced, this book provides a fascinating account of a pivotal period in the artist's long and complicated career.

Whistler's aim was to restore both his fortune and reputation with the Venetian etchings. To that end he included views of familiar sights like the Riva degli Schiavoni and San Marco, but he also captured quiet backwaters, secret gardens, and lantern-lit windows that did not appear in any guidebook. His selection of views and compositions, plus the expressiveness of his line and printing, differentiated his work from that of others, and MacDonald shows the process by which Whistler selected, shaped, and edited his Venetian corpus. He drew figures in distinctively Italian costume, each an individual, moving, gesturing, and interacting with other real people.

An appendix of Whistler's letters from Venice provides an entertaining account of his time there and also deepens the reader's understanding of how the city challenged and inspired him. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Etchings & Pastels to change your view of Whistler
This is an amazingly fine book of Whistler's etchings & pastels for a very reasonable price now that it has been remaindered.To me, the absolute economy of means in his pastels is stunning.Every pastel artist should pick up this book.Just looking carefully at these little masterpieces is worth more than a whole course in pastel drawing. ... Read more