- A facsimile of Whistler's published 1885 lecture, the culmination of
years of work and self-promotion after Ruskin's bruising criticism,
expressing his artistic beliefs with satire and beauty Whistler was one
of the most original, if also tirelessly self-promoting artists of the
later 19th century. After his disastrous run-in with John Ruskin, the
greatest critic of the previous generation, Whistler poured his thoughts
and feelings about art into this lecture, which made him if anything
more notorious, but was also widely admired for its insights and wit. It
is reproduced here exactly as he had it printed, with an essay by the
leading scholar Margaret MacDonald putting it into the context of
Whistler's career and times.