Whistler wrote this pamphlet, sold for one shilling, a month after he won one farthing in damages in his celebrated libel suit against the art critic John Ruskin. It is dedicated to Whistler’s witness at the trial, fellow artist Albert Moore.
In this text, Whistler fundamentally challenges the right of art critics to criticise painters, since their knowledge of art is not based on artistic practice. Its publication caused some controversy within the journalistic community. Many reviews highlighted conceptual inconsistencies of Whistler’s approach. However, as a polemical intervention, its consequences were far-reaching and it set the tone for an enduringly heated debate about modern art for the rest of Whistler’s lifetime.
Go to the edition