Whistler as Butterfly
19th–20th century
Medium
Commercial relief process
Dimensions
sheet: 9 x 5 15/16 in. (22.9 x 15.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Paul F. Walter, 1985
Accession Number
1985.1161.37
Art Historical Context
James McNeill Whistler, the celebrated 19th-century artist known for his Aestheticist principles and subtle tonal harmonies, immortalized his persona in *Whistler as Butterfly*, a delightful print from the late 19th to early 20th century. small-scale work (9 x 5 15/16 inches) captures Whistler's iconic butterfly monogram—a whimsical self-symbol he developed around 1860. The motif, with its stylized 'J', flowing 'M' wings, and 'W' tail, represented his artistic identity, evoking grace, ephemerality, and the "art for art's sake" ethos that defined his career alongside works like *Arrangement in ...
About the Artist
James McNeill Whistler · 1834–1903
James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) was an American-born painter and printmaker who became a leading figure in the Aesthetic Movement and pioneer of Tonalism and Japonisme. He revolutionized art by championing "art for art's sake" and treating paintings as visual equivalents of musical compositions, titling works as "arrangements," "harmonies," and "nocturnes" to emphasize formal qualities o...