Pic courtesy Hunterian Art Gallery
Exhibition: Whistler – The Gentle Art of Making Etchings, Hunterian Art Gallery, Glasgow, until May 30 2009
Don Seitz’s Whistler Stories, an anthology of anecdotes about James McNeill Whistler, is a treasure trove of sharp backchat and eccentric encounters recalled by figures from the Victorian art world who met this combative master of etchings.
He was a verbal sparring partner of Oscar Wilde prone to sulk and rage at any questioning of his ability and, upon being told that his painting was matched only by Velasquez, famously retorted “why bring in Velasquez?” to one female admirer.
Pic courtesy Hunterian Art Gallery
Glasgow University holds a world-famous collection of Whistler’s material, and the Hunterian’s show aims to provide some new insights into his work, inspired by the streets and waterways of London, Venice and Amsterdam.
Pic courtesy Hunterian Art Gallery
A nonplussed Sir John Millais once accused Whistler of “never learning the grammar of his art,” claiming one depiction of a woman was “as faulty as it can be…a woman all out of proportion, with impossible legs and arms. It’s too clever! It’s a damn sight too clever!”
His disregard for conventional techniques ultimately saw Whistler lauded as one of the most innovative etchers since Rembrandt – George Bernard Shaw called his work “the most exquisite renderings by the most independent man of the century” – and his tools and copper plates will be on display alongside rare archive material and previously unseen work exploring his distinctive techniques.
Pic courtesy Hunterian Art Gallery
It’s part of The Whistler Etchings Research Project, a long-term effort to uncover more, which is being conducted by the University’s prestigious History of Art Department.
Ten-minute lunchtime talks about the exhibition take place on March 3, April 7 and May 5. Accompanying activities for children and adults take place on May 2. Call 0141 330 5431.
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