James Abbott McNeill Whistler (ˈdʒeɪmz ˈæbət məkˈniːl ˈwɪslɚ) (July 10, 1834 – July 17, 1903) was an American-born, British-based artist active during the American Gilded Age. He was averse to sentimentality and moral allusion in painting, and was a leading proponent of the credo "art for art's sake". His famous signature for his paintings was in the shape of a stylized butterfly possessing a long stinger for a tail. The symbol was apt, for it combined both aspects of his personality—his art was… Read more...