James McNeill Whistler was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1834. During his childhood, due to his father’s job, the family moved to Saint Petersburg, Russia, and then to London. Whistler was sent to the Christ Church Hall School to study for a religious career, and when that didn’t work out, he was sent to West Point. It soon became clear that his calling was art. After four years study in Paris, he decided London would be his home. Whistler’s style was unique, what many feel was the most perfect embodiment of a “total artwork,” the combining of poetry, music, and aesthetics. His style led to a following—Whistlerism—which became a phenomenon in the latter half of the 19th century. This is the first large-scale European exhibition of Whistler’s work in 30 years. —Elena Clavarino