James McNeill Whistler (Exhibition on Screen)

In an era of great change and great beauty emerged the character of James McNeill Whistler. Considered by some to be one of the great innovators of 19th century art, he was a contemporary of the Impressionists. Whistler disrupted the strict conventions of Victorian society in pursuit of a new cult of beauty, creating "art for art's sake" and earning himself a place in the history of great art. He found a parallel between painting and music emphasizing the importance of tonal harmony in his work.