Whistler An introduction to the work of James McNeill Whistler.Frances Spalding One of a series of introductory books on the great masters and movements in art This volume on Whistler contains an extensive essay, 48 full-page colour plates, and is accompanied by extensive notes and comparative illustrations Provides incomparable value Highly regarded for its insight and authority James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) was one of the most original artists of the late nineteenth century. Flamboyant dandy and ebullient publicist, friend of Oscar Wilde, Whistler was also a meticulous craftsman dedicated to the perfection of his art. Whistler was born in America but trained in Paris. He began as a realist painter but gradually developed a startlingly original method of composition, refining his technique to the barest essentials. He was one of the first to argue that the abstract ingredients of a painting - the lines, shapes, colours and tones - could in themselves be the subject; he entitled the portrait of his mother Arrangement in Grey and Black. This book provides a wide survey of carefully selected works, illustrated with 48 full-page colour plates and accompanying notes, making it an ideal introduction to Whistlers art.