Exhibition Preview Whistler's Public PersonaA sometimes larger-than-life character, Whistler became as well known for his letter-writing campaigns, lawsuits, and verbal barbs against critics, dealers, and other artists who misunderstood his work, as he was for his new ideas about art. William Merritt Chase, one of Whistler's staunchest American champions, painted this commanding portrait of Whistler when he was nearing the height of his American fame. Chase spent the summer of 1885 with Whistler in London, and to demonstrate what he had learned, he portrayed the master in his own manner–in a spare, shallow setting, from a low vantage point, using the narrow color scheme the artist favored in that period. Implying exaggerated elegance and a hint of arrogance, the portrait represents Whistler's public persona. |
