James McNeill Whistler
1834 – 1903

James McNeill Whistler

American painter (1834-1903)

lithographerprintmakeretcherpainterillustrator
Born
1834-07-10, Lowell
Died
1903-07-17
Birthplace state
Massachusetts

Biography

James McNeill Whistler was born in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1834 and died in 1903. He worked as a painter, printmaker, etcher, lithographer, illustrator, and writer, pursuing his career largely in the United Kingdom during the American Gilded Age. He rejected sentimentality and moral allusion in painting and advocated for the principle that art should exist for its own sake rather than serve other purposes.

Occupation

James McNeill Whistler is recorded as a lithographer, a printmaker, a etcher, a painter, a illustrator and a writer, born in Massachusetts (1834–1903).

Connections to Massachusetts

James McNeill Whistler was born in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1834. Explore other notable figures from Massachusetts, historic sites connected to this era, and the full colonial and statehood history of the state using the links below.

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James McNeill Whistler came from Lowell. A full Aubrey report on Lowell pulls together everything the historical record holds about that place, from the first settlers to the twentieth century:

Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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More notable figures from Massachusetts

Other historical figures born in Massachusetts, ranked by historical prominence.

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president of the United States from 1961 to 1963 (1917–1963)
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
American writer and literary critic (1809–1849)
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
American polymath and statesman (1706–1790)
George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
president of the United States from 1989 to 1993 (1924-2018)
John Adams
John Adams
Founding Father, U.S. president from 1797 to 1801
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams
President of the United States from 1825 to 1829
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
American philosopher (1803–1882)

Frequently asked about James McNeill Whistler

Who was James McNeill Whistler?
James McNeill Whistler was American painter (1834-1903), born in Massachusetts (1834 – 1903).
When and where was James McNeill Whistler born?
James McNeill Whistler was born on 1834-07-10 in Lowell.
When did James McNeill Whistler die?
James died on 1903-07-17.
What was James McNeill Whistler known for?
James McNeill Whistler is recorded as a lithographer, a printmaker, a etcher, a painter, a illustrator and a writer.
Source

Biographical content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia.

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