James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834–1903) was one of the most deliberately contentious, witty, and fiercely independent artists of his generation. Whistler rebelled against the established art world and resisted allegiances with avant-garde movements such as Impressionism. One of the most eminent advocates of the “art for art’s sake” philosophy of Aestheticism, he is considered by many to be among the best printmakers in art history. Whistler and Rebellion in the Art World presents Carnegie Museum of Art’s impressive collection of Whistler’s aesthetically radical prints, paintings, and drawings, revealing the evolution of his career in relation to his towering persona and place in the 19th-century art world.

Whistler and Rebellion in the Art World is organized by Amanda Zehnder, associate curator of fine arts.