American
Whistler was an American expatriate who influenced painters working on both sides of the Atlantic. His philosophy “l’art pour l’art” [art for art’s sake] encouraged artists to pursue beauty over narrative in their work. He explored the connections between art and music, and often gave his paintings musical titles, using descriptors such as "arrangement" and "harmony." He popularized a taste for Japanese arts and influenced other painters with the atmospheric, poetic effects of his paintings.
Born
1834
Died
1903