Whistler, Women and Fashion

Costume and fashion were a lifelong obsession for James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903).

His exquisite depictions of women and the details of their clothing contributed to his career as one of the most accomplished and successful, if controversial, artists of the 19th century.

This illustrated manual focuses on fashion in Whistler's art as a key to understanding his life and work and as a means of exploring his relationship with women and his portraits of them.

The text offers insights into some of Whistler's most beloved masterpieces in the context of art and fashion in the Victorian period. Illustrated with paintings, pastels, prints and drawings by Whistler, the work also presents photographs of his sitters, contemporary costumes, works by other artists of the period, and artefacts from Whistler's studio.

These illustrations, with material drawn from the Centre for Whistler Studies in Glasgow, illuminate the interaction between the artist and the women he portrayed during his 50 years in Paris and London - mistresses, family members, artists, actresses, aristocrats, and many others.