FRANCES SPALDING

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Bloomsbury Group transformed British culture with their innovative approach to art, design and society. In this book Frances Spalding presents over twenty fascinating biographies, all of which are illustrated with paintings and intimate photographs created by members of the group.

Whistler An introduction to the work of James McNeill Whistler.Frances Spalding One of a series of introductory books on the great masters and movements in art This volume on Whistler contains an extensive essay, 48 full-page colour plates, and is accompanied by extensive notes and comparative illustrations Provides incomparable value Highly regarded for its insight and authority James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) was one of the most original artists of the late nineteenth century. Flamboyant dandy and ebullient publicist, friend of Oscar Wilde, Whistler was also a meticulous craftsman dedicated to the perfection of his art. Whistler was born in America but trained in Paris. He began as a realist painter but gradually developed a startlingly original method of composition, refining his technique to the barest essentials. He was one of the first to argue that the abstract ingredients of a painting - the lines, shapes, colours and tones - could in themselves be the subject; he entitled the portrait of his mother Arrangement in Grey and Black. This book provides a wide survey of carefully selected works, illustrated with 48 full-page colour plates and accompanying notes, making it an ideal introduction to Whistler's art.