The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-18
WHISTLER, THE ARTIST, DEAD
pAsSED AWAY SUDDENLY AT HIS
CHELSEA HOME.
lie Delighted and Exaggerated by Turns
with Acrid Humor and Studied In
soIence-IIlDel Suit Against Ruskin-
Failed or Reelection to Royal Society.
s,,c,a, CaMs Despatch to THE SUN.

sp,c,al CaMs Despatch to THE SUN.
LONDON, July i7.---James McNeill Whis-
.,or the noted artist died suddenly this
as,arnoon at his residence, Cheyne Walk.
Chelsea.
Postmaster OF the gentle art OF making
.npmtes, as he called himself, Whistler was
nv MI odds one Of the most entertaining
MON of his time to the great reading public.
whom he delighted and exasperated by
,rps with his acrid humor and studied
insoence.
So diyerting was his pen that many people
forgot his great mastery OF his art In their
keen app recitation of his cutting lucubra-
lions,
When he won in his libel suit against
Ruskin the farthing which he promptly
hung upon his watch chain, and the British
public subscribed the $500 costs which
iell upon Ruskin, one OF the subscribers
exclaimed that tea times the amount would
nor have been too much for the public to
nav for the entertainment the suit afforded
hem, and he expressed the feelings of
MANY people in those words.
Whistler was an American, but at one
time his aversion for Americans was so
EXPOSITION, he did not want his pictures
hung with those of American artists, but
demanded that they be hung in the British
section. At another time he turned against
the English. 1t was when he failed OF re-
election to the Royal Society OF British
ARTISTS He and his friends then resigned.
1T il very simple" he said IN explana-
ton: "the artists retired; the British re-
manned.
Receiving the award Of a medal OF the
second class he thanked the jury for their
second class compliment. Fretted by a
man whose room he was decorating. no
finished the decoration-the famous
peacock room by painting two peacocks,
one, with long lock over its brow to rep
resent himself pecking at the other peacock.
Such was Whistler's nature.
Whistler was born at Lowell, Mass, in
1894 He was the son Of Major George
Washir gton Whistler, an engineer. He
studied FOR time at West Point and after
ward became pupil Of the artist Gleyre,
in Paris, where one OF his fellow students
was George Du Maurier.
When years afterward Whistler recog-
nized caricature OF himself In Joe Stotey,
in "Triloy,' he was very wroth with Du
Maurier and accused him Of all kinds OF
violation OF the confidence Of friendship.
Tho row resulted in tho excision OF the
character from the story.
Academy in 1859. He settled in London
four years later. Some of his best known
The Last Of Old Westminster dating
from the following year; AT the Piaio
NS67). -Nocturne in Blue and Silver
1882; the Arrangement in Black Nady
Archibald CampbelD and the Arrange
ment in Gray and Green" Miss Alexander),
which were shown ut Munich in 1883, and
the portraits of his mother, OF Thomas
CARLYLE and Of Senior Sarasate.
The portrait Of the artists mother is in
the Luxembourg, and that OF Carlyle in
the GsEo~ woh sr dates ahs from si is R Wns
among number Of Whistler's Paintings
which he was once obliged to pawn as u
lot, and he had hs rd work to get an adj
vance OF money on them then.
I, was only the common Story Of the
painter Of genius. Later Whistler pint
inGs were to sell ~ almost any price
he ct ose 10 pun upon them.
When the Scottish gallery at length, de-
torTi"ed 20 buy the portrait Of Carlyle,
Whis'er's price for it was 4NO guireas. he
learned that the subscription paper con-
foined disclaimer OF any approval OF hit-
self or his art and he promptly raised the
price to thousand guineas.
Tie Scotchmen were appalled, and went
away TO think the matter over, and when
they came again he advanced the price
still further The portrait was bought
FOR the Glasgow gallery in 1891
As an etcher Whistler's fame is par
lcu'arly high. and no published also
number Of Autographs on the picturesque
river life and the architectural attractions
Of London.
Etclrgs by him are exhibited in the
British Museum. Dresden. Berlin and Ven
ice Fifteen wears ago he married the
widow Of the late architect, z. W. Coo dwn,
daughter Of the sculptor, J. b. Philip.
Whistler sued Ruskin for libel in 1878 for
disparaging his art, sneerir < at his ternerity
in asking high prices for firging pot Of
paint in the public's face AID calling him
coCknev
He WAS in various other lawsuits and
never failed to get some fun out Of them,
whatever the issue George Moore, the
art critic, was concerned in the negotiations
for the small portrait of the wife
OF Sir william Eden, for failure
10 deliver which Sir William sued
tho artist. and Whittier later wanted to
fight duel with Moore and when Moore
failed 10 respond to his challenge he called
nm runaway.
Among Whistler's published writings.
besides sundrv letters to the newspapers
are The Gentle Art of Making Enemies.
us bestknown book; ~Ten O'Clock" and
The Butterfly and the Baronet."
n" was an officer Of the Legion OF Honor
and member Of several societies.
--
"SpITEO ClVy N-AT-s-H RrT Mont