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Butterfly: The Art and Life of James McNeill Whistler

Production of a one-hour critical biography on the art and life of American artist James McNeill Whistler.

A painter, an etcher, and designer who brought attention to his work with his brilliant wit, contretemps with the press, showmanship and talent, James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) was an American-born artist whose contributions to art include landscape paintings that nudged 19th century art towards abstraction, portraits (such as the iconic "Whistler's Mother")that are known for their color harmony and restraint, and etchings which are to the 19th and 20th centuries as Rembrandt's were to the 17th. A serious reformer of contemporary art, Whistler was an independent artist whose focus on the aesthetic quality of art ("art for art's sake"), rather than any social, moral or ethical purpose, was contrary to the thinking of many in his day. We are requesting production support for a one-hour critical biography on the art and life of James McNeill Whistler.

Project fields:
Art History and Criticism

Program:
America's Media Makers: Production Grants

Division:
Public Programs

Total amounts:
$725,000 (approved)
$725,000 (awarded)

Grant period:
9/1/2010 – 12/31/2014