TATE BRITAIN EXHIBITION
James McNeill
Whistler
UNTIL 26TH SEPTEMBER 2026
Experience the captivating world of rule-breaking American artist James McNeill Whistler
A truly global figure, Whistler re-wrote the rules of what it meant to be an artist. He pioneered new and innovative techniques, creating astonishingly beautiful, ethereal visions of modern life that would earn him a place as one of the most influential artists of the 19th and 20th centuries.
This retrospective – the first major European exhibition of Whistler’s work in 30 years – brings together the artist’s world-famous paintings alongside rarely, or never seen, works. It includes exquisite portraits, drawings, prints, and designs, from as early as his teens in St. Petersburg to the enigmatic late self-portraits.
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ABOUT THE SOCIETY
The aim of the society is to promote interest in the life, work and influence of James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834 -1903).
Founded in 2012, The Whistler Society organises events such as talks, visits to exhibitions and places associated with Whistler and those in his social circle. It publishes a bi-monthly Newsletter and a Journal, The Ten O’clock, every two years. You can find copies of both on the website. Some meetings are held at the Chelsea Arts Club, of which Whistler was a founder member in 1891.
J.A. M. Whistler was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, USA on 11 July 1834. Part of his childhood was spent in St. Petersburg, Russia. He studied painting in Paris and then moved to London in 1859. He embraced the philosophy of ‘art for art’s sake’ exemplified by his paintings, etchings, decorative schemes and writings. He had a significant influence on present day attitudes to art and to its place in Society. As a person he was equally striking and flamboyant. He died in Chelsea on 17 July 1903.
Whistler's studio at 33 Tite Street, Chelsea, 1881. From right: Hon. Frederick Lawless (1847–1929) sculptor; Frank Miles (1852–1891) painter; James McNeill Whistler; Julian Story (1850–1919) painter; and Thomas Waldo Story (1854–1915) sculptor. Photograph. Library of Congress, Washington DC.
THE JOURNAL
'THE TEN O'CLOCK'
The Ten O'clock is an extensively illustrated periodic journal produced by the Whistler Society exclusively for its members. The journal edited by Dr Georgia Toutziari with Emeritus Professor Daniel Sutherland as assistant editor. It contains scholarly articles based on original research written by contributors working in a variety of facets of research into 19th century arts, culture and society, from the visual arts and art history, to literature and criticism.
The Ten O'clock journal is produced by the Whistler Society exclusively for its members.
