New-York tribune., 1903-07-18
/. HN. WHISTLER DEAD.
Famous american artist Enpires at
London.

1ondon. July 1s.-James Abbott McNein
shIstler. the celebrated American artist died
-ssterday afternoon at his residence, No. a.
,seyne Walk, Chelsea, at the age of sixty-nine
ears. His death came unexpectedly. although
~ some time he had been seriously ILL
rhis mornings papers publish long obituary
.,,ioes recognizing the distinguished and
.,ne personality Of Whistler. whose genius
..,lv dominated European art Of the present
,eration. While admitting that it is a ques-
=, for posterity TO decide his exact position as
,slpter. it is generally conceded that he was
.onsummate etcher.
the Daily Telegraph" says:
=. nav safely be prophesied that the light of
,'s genius viii but burn the brighter when his
- Lss5gserted individuality has been a little for
s,,en. OF. at any rate, obscured.
THE Daily Chronicle" says:
=. &c rnortifying to think that there is no ex-
lie of mis- work in the public galleries of Lon
s5 where he lived and worked so many years.
:. nan OF his time has been richer source of
.so,es no contemporary artist has enjoyed
-, of which the record might be made more
,grlnous or more picturesque than Mr. Whist
n. r-.,, ~. o.,
..o,ologv Of HIS career is not easily ascertained
o berond the fact that he was educated at West
-, and that certain early experiments Of his
-. made upon the margins OF some surveyors
-. helonEing to the United States Government
IS.,sars improbable that America was of much
80 significance during his youthful years. He
-. Young man in Paris in the Sos For
=, be studied with Gleyre. a master for whose
,ens,oe one may look in vain across the mass
a york produced by his pupil but Whistler must
Iva found something in him.
T-t,s,,er knew the Paris which Du Maurier has
nail han
t,.,sa But though he may not have cared to
= ornirsed OF the QUARTER Latin Trby and
,t.rs piiee knew It, OF the most distin-
shed artists of England. America and France
-, Il whistler was assuredly a part of it, and
'.,n e,ehings which he made at the time are
en- - the spirit as well OF the pictorial effect
psbsrnia that has passed In Paris Whistler
- ,uch pondered much and gained much. but
- -s,. 70 make his home in London in 1868, be-
80 bs WAS quite thirty. In London he remained
.r sc when he returned TO France and settled
a. paris He was deeply appreciated in Paris. His
.,-.rsit Of his mother. one of his masterpieces,
to,ss in the Luxembourg. When he held ex-
Iation for the Parisians they acclaimed him
~ the greatest Of great painters. with spontaneous
,,,ord In London he never held in the
universal regard His first years there were spent
:, house which he shared with Rossetu and
sv3sburne He had always a following Artists
hsssvea in him. and he had powerful support
among limited circle OF connosseurs. But Lon
son At large never realized his worth and it was
Mr. Ruskn himself who in "Fors Clavigera" pub
Isbed in 1871 the slashing criticism which
tbs nanter made the occasion of law
suit Mr Ruskins outburst summed up
50 well the temper Of the average Briton
IN his attitude toward Mr.. Whistler that it may be
quoted intact Mr Ruskin saw in a public exhibi-
lion q work by Mr. Whistler and wrote of it as
follows:
For Mr Whistlers own sake. no less than for the
H. 1l,9c Cir s-oSc
ought not to have admitted works into the gallery
n which the ill-edueated eonceit Of the artist so
have seen and heard much Of cockney ifnpudence
ask 200 guineas for Aingng a pot of paint in the
pubics face.
In the trial which followed the publication Of this
deNTeranos TO 1r. Whistler was awarded one farth-
fag ana the gayety OF nations was enhanced. Never
vas there funnier reading than the report which
Whistler gave Of the whole affair in THE Gentle
Art Of Making Enemies" that book wherein all his
Journalistic and epistolary encounters with the
Phi.istine are recorded with scrupuous accuracy.
Nj Whistler is at his happiest with the pen when
he is showing what an abject creature a critic
really is, and his pages bright with witticisms,
Of which good specimen may be cited apropos of
saturday reviewer and certain symphony in
White No III Mr. Hamerton thought this was
mol precisely a symphony in white" because
there were touches OF yellow in the dress of one
laoy because a girl IN white on a white sofa" had
reddish hair 'and, Of course" he concluded there
is the flesh color Of the complexion Mr. Whis-
uefs retort is very pat: Bon Dleu, Did this wise
person expect White hair and chalked faces? And
Goes ne then in his astounding consequence. be-
AeSe that symphony in r contains no other note,
'u' snall De continued repetition Of F, F, F?'
In this debonair fashion Mr. Whistler
hashed about him in London
OAce ne met what seemed to be a quenching re-
srsf yEe ne had scornfuly called BaaaIns ass the
v--s.nSa - I!G, ana The inference plain, until
the "a'st t N anity Fair" called his attention TO
5s ~ lsct mat the ass was right whistler acknowl-
nsfee IL ne POM, But the acknowledgment termi-
sSJoi+ ~ way that is delicious Il fancy you will
cid @ MAJ ms Is the only ass on record who ever
,3 IN. ne Sse Of miracles Even in defeat he was
,i ~ Whistler maintained unswerytneIv the prin-
~, ne tnat art exists for its own sake that when
is s,1 ~ 90 chooses "a certain harmony Of color
4; s1lllent In itself He hattled for his nrincirla
y amusing ways His Ten C'CIor< TectiIra'; has
f6e r+iA tie4Aols The catalogue IN which he refuted
rus possesses an equal celebrity But all this can
mics Ill Inc Gentle Art Of Making Enc
--rcb 4s work Whistler EXPRESSED himself with as
bareIy Itt'g IL IS N ms witticisms and more
plates Inriya "as Is a prolific workman. His etched
lsnG = S-e Low countries. in France and in Eng
9o-fr.,. , t1iS paintings are numerous most Of them
tSgaits ~ but several OF them compositions similar
works ., 10 5SrC-e .LI-e IN black and white. the Fire
rt;47 IN one instance al least he has esSaved
rer-tg VScordtl i've work adornng the wa lis of that
tr-.eIkatle Peacock Room . of which we 1--WE a
aoiiogIaphy, and had achieved with The srone some
n al this great collection Of c4re G % dof IN
tinction witboit Ing ,is without the quality of dis
o1v.dnality expressing itself u q great a[sllc IN
lis more - = nigh praise but not too high.
GirL lS92 The Last Of oid ;SS are: Inc WaIe Wa1
Portrait OF Thomas 6arIrit 6OTItrait Of Ny Mother and
sue and Silver" -Ss2; 49,; ~; N NoctuPne IN
GRAY and &C.,, C5ssTnpbeD and ''Arrangement in
o'so wen known as etcher 1865 he WIS