Whistler’s Legacy

Few artists were as determined to shape their own legacy as James Abbott McNeill Whistler. Fiercely protective of his reputation, he denounced would-be biographers, published The Gentle Art of Making Enemies as his own autobiography, and destroyed works he thought unworthy of his genius, declaring more than once that “to destroy is to survive.” Yet despite his efforts at control, Whistler’s legacy has proved as unpredictable and contentious as the man himself.

In this engagingly written book, Daniel E. Sutherland traces the turbulent fortunes of Whistler’s reputation since his death in 1903. He examines the friends, relatives, and acquaintances who first shaped the story of Whistler’s life and art and shows how three defining issues—the cultivated image of the dandy, his reputation for quarrelsomeness, and the origins of the nocturnes—came to dominate critical debates. Along the way, Sutherland challenges entrenched assumptions by questioning and often correcting the reasons behind Whistler’s controversial standing. He also demonstrates how these narratives have evolved through successive generations of critics, curators, and scholars, while seeping into popular culture as well.

Offering the first sustained study of Whistler’s contested posthumous reputation, this book makes a significant contribution to the field of nineteenth-century art and biography. It will appeal to art historians, museum professionals, and scholars of modernism, as well as any admirers of Whistler eager to understand how and why he remains such a polarizing figure today.

“Dr. Sutherland’s well-established expertise continues with his insightful conclusions drawn. Whistler's Legacy will assuredly enrich and enliven Whistlerian contexts as did his previous publications. Dr. Sutherland deftly steers readers through past scholarship while introducing impressive original perspectives to inspire new topics to pursue.  He examines witnesses, offers explanations, and ultimately frames Whistler’s established image via popular culture to provide a fuller portrait of one of the most consequential artists of the nineteenth century.”—Catherine Carter Goebel, Director, Centre for Whistler Criticism

Daniel E. Sutherland is Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Arkansas. He is the author or editor of sixteen books, including Whistler: A Life for Art's Sake and Whistler's Mother: Portrait of an Extraordinary Life.

Art History & Architecture

           American

           Modern and Contemporary

           Nineteenth-century

Biography & Memoir