James Whistler Paintings by Daniel Coenn

Description

James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903) believed a painting should be like a piece of music — and he titled his works accordingly: Arrangements, Symphonies, Nocturnes. James Whistler Paintings, curated by Daniel Coenn for the My Pocket Gallery series, gathers the American master's most celebrated works in crisp, high-resolution reproductions, from his atmospheric Thames night scenes to his elegant portraits. The collection naturally centers on his masterpiece, Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 (1871) — the famous Whistler's Mother, now one of the most recognizable paintings in the world. Around it, readers discover the misty Nocturnes that once provoked John Ruskin's fury and the legendary libel trial, the portraits that made Whistler the most sought-after society painter of his age, and the refined etchings of Venice and London that reveal his draughtsman's hand.

Whistler was far more than a painter: a wit, a dandy, and a tireless champion of "art for art's sake" whose influence helped carry art toward abstraction. That philosophy is the key to enjoying this gallery. Whistler did not want his paintings to tell stories or teach morals; he wanted them to work the way music works, through harmony, tone, and arrangement. Once you look at the Nocturnes that way — as visual music, with the Thames at night reduced to a few misty chords of blue and gold — the famous quarrel with Ruskin makes sense, and so does Whistler's importance: he gave later artists permission to value feeling and form over subject matter, a step on the road to abstraction. The portraits show the other side of the same idea, where a sitter becomes an arrangement of grays and blacks, elegant precisely because nothing distracts from the tonal harmony.

This pocket gallery brings his tonal harmonies and subtle color chords to your phone or tablet — perfect for art students, teachers, and anyone who wants to study the man who made painting musical. Get the ebook at a discount from Tellebook.