Whistler
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A Life for Art's Sake
Daniel E. Sutherland
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Format: ClothPrice: $40.00
Out of Print
The first biography in more than twenty years of James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903) is also the first to make extensive use of the artist’s private correspondence to tell the story of his life and work. This engaging personal history dispels the popular notion of Whistler as merely a combative, eccentric, and unrelenting publicity seeker, a man as renowned for his public feuds with Oscar Wilde and John Ruskin as for the iconic portrait of his mother. The Whistler revealed in these pages is an intense, introspective, and complex man, plagued by self-doubt and haunted by an endless pursuit of perfection in his painting and drawing.
In his beautifully illustrated and deeply human portrayal of the artist, Daniel E. Sutherland shows why Whistler was perhaps the most influential artist of his generation, and certainly a pivotal figure in the cultural history of the nineteenth century. Whistler comes alive through his own magnificent work and words, including the provocative manifestos that explained his bold artistic vision, sparked controversy in his own time, and resonate to this day.
“All that matters about Whistler is his art. On that, Sutherland writes with sensitivity and deep knowledge, and he makes you eager to go and see the pictures for yourself. Whistler would not have asked for anything more."—John Carey, The Sunday Times
"Sutherland's account. . .is unobtrusively scholarly and he is a sensible explainer of the work, accessible and illuminating to the general reader. We get three thick wodges of plates, so the paintings are on hand. He knew everybody, learned what he needed to learn and became singular. Sutherland deftly explains how." —Sam Leith, The Spectator
“This is the story of a true bohemian.”—Rachel Campbell-Johnston, The Times
“Daniel Sutherland, a professor of history at the University of Arkansas, has given us a warts-and-all portrait of Whistler, the man, the work and his times.”—A.N.Wilson, The Financial Times
“The first comprehensive biography of Whistler in at least a generation . . . Sutherland skillfully captures Whistler’s ambition, tenacity, and insecurity and presents his life in a narrative that does justice to both his triumphs and his failures.”—Eleanor Jones Harvey, American Scholar
“Sutherland’s illustrious, cradle-to-grave biography is nicely old-fashioned: it recounts Whistler’s career in chronological order, is generous with detail, and keeps psychological speculation to a minimum.”—Michael Prodger, The Mail on Sunday
“Sutherland’s admirably researched and memorable biography should find new admirers for this prickly, headstrong artist and provocateur.”—Ann Landi, ARTnews
Publication Date: March 4, 2014
12 color + 94 b/w illus.
