Whistler and Nature

The Anglo-American artist James McNeill Whistler (1834 – 1903) is a household name – a man who inspired and astonished the Victorian world. Less well known, though, is the influence of nature on Whistler's work. This innovative and compelling study reconsiders Whistler's work from the context of his military service and his relationship with 'nature at the margins,' showing how Whistler's observation of nature and its moods underpinned his haunting visions of nineteenth-century life.

This innovative and compelling study reconsiders Whistler's work from the context of his military service and his relationship with 'nature at the margins.' Whistler came from a family of soldiers and engineers; his father, Major George Washington Whistler, was originally a US military engineer. Drawing and mapmaking were important components of the military training that Whistler acquired as an officer cadet at West Point Academy in 1851-4 and subsequently in the Drawing Department at the US Coast and Geodetic Survey, where he attempted to realize his father’s hopes that he would make engineering or architecture his profession.

These influences in turn shaped Whistler's attitude towards nature, as expressed in works ranging from his celebrated London 'Nocturnes' to his French coastal scenes – all of which were created after Whistler moved permanently to Europe in 1855.

50 colour illustrations