James Abbott McNeil Whistler

Whistler was an American expatriate aesthetic painter living in England in the late 1800's. Whistler took a bold stance to paint "art for art's sake". A painting was not about the subject but about the feeling, the movement of the painting, the brushstrokes. The titles of Whistler's paintings are reminiscent of musical terms such as arrangement, harmony, nocturne, and symphony. One particular painting to note I like is Symphony is White #1.
Many of Whistler's paintings caused drama in society. This particular painting was criticized for conflicting morals. The woman painted was the known mistress of Whistler yet she is depicted in all white which is a well known symbol of innocence, purity, chastity, and youth. The platform the woman is standing on is a dead, skinned animal, hardly appropriate for a young woman to be standing on. The wilted lily in the young woman's hand is also an interesting detail, as is the ruffled hair and dark overtones throughout the painting. These interpretations by critics were all preposterous to Whistler because he painted for "art's sake" and nothing else. I like the conflicting feelings that the painting presents, and I suppose should not be interpreted any further according to Whistler.

{via: Art Cyclopedia}

One story that never ceases to amaze me is about Whistler's Harmony of Blue and Gold. Whistler's character is seen in it's true colors.Whistler was commissioned to do an interior painting for Leyland in his home in England. Whistler had been brought in to fix what another artist had befuddled in the living room,. Leyland went out of town for business trusting Whistler to make the

necessary improvements according to the agreement. But upon Leyland's return home he was shocked to discover that Whistler had completely painted over all of the walls and furniture due to the fact that he was completely overcome by the project that he had gotten lost in the art of it all and couldn't stop or restrain himself. Leyland was of course upset and refused to pay the price Whistler was now asking for.The scandal led to one of the many trials Whistler was involved in. Leyland did eventually pay Whistler but for only a very small portion of what Whistler wanted for his work, and as Whistler predicted, the Peacock room out-lived  Leyland and is still today one of the great art works of Whistler.

{via: FSg exhibition}