Audacious Whistler Double Exhibit of American Artist Celebrates Cutting-Edge Work by Heather Nalbone James McNeill Whistler wasnít always praised for his work. The Massachusetts-born 19th-century artist had numerous critics in his day, one of whom was so harsh that Whistler was able to collect damages in a libel lawsuit. He spent most of his later years either financially unstable or bankrupt, becoming estranged from the very art society whose commission eventually made him world famous. In many ways, it was the painterís shortcomings that earned him a place in history books and some of the worldís most respected museums. A century after his death, Whistler is making up for any disadvantages he experienced during his career. His works, and his name, are receiving double recognition in separate celebratory exhibits at the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the Smithsonianís Freer Gallery of Art. At a time when painting served as the predecessor to photography, Whistler was widely viewed as an agitator of respectable art. True-to-life drawings were fashionable, while hazy pastel images were considere d largely ìfeminineî and unfit for gallery exhibits or living room walls. So Whistler caused quite a stir when he delivered roughly 100 pastels and 50 prints to the Fine Arts Society of London. He spent 14 months in Venice to produce the works, nearly a full year longer than the institute had given him to produce 12 etchings. His blended images of quays and alleyways were far removed from the traditional sketches of famous landmarks the society had envisioned, and they marked an early progression from conventional art that would inspire painters for years to come. At first glance, itís difficult to appreciate the audacity of Whistlerís early experimentation. By todayís standards the prints are tame and ordinary, but a century ago they were cutting edge. Whistler was one of the first artists to avoid the Piazza San Marco and other tourist attractions in favor of the back alleys, quiet doorsteps and isolated canals characteristic the cityís everyday life. Whistler sketched most of his paintings and pastels before adding firm strokes of color, but the sketches were basic and the colors varied little. One piece that is representative of much of his work is ìStreet in Venice,î a small, rectangular pastel on display at the Freer Gallery. The dark passageway is drawn in muted colors on brown paper, with splashes of pale blues and pinks to depict laundry hanging from apartment windows and balconies. Many of the pastels on display are panoramas of distant vistas, hazy skylines and tranquil piers. When there are people in Whistlerís paintings, they are mostly beggars or common folk instead of wealthy tourists, and few are depicted with more than the most basic of facial and bodily features. Peasant women, for instance, are the central focus of ìBead Stringers,î and tattered figures peer out from under an overpass in ìThe Beggars.î Whistlerís unconventional portrayals of familiar settings, though criticized by many at their introduction, served as a groundbreaking template for artists as they approached the 20th century. The Corcoran dispels any doubts about Whistlerís influence by expanding its exhibit to include works by John Singer Sargent, Frank Duveneck and other artists who emulated Whistlerís style. ìWhistler in Venice: The Pastelsî runs through June 15 at the Freer Gallery of Art, 12th Street and Independence Avenue, SW. For more information, please call (202) 357-2700 or visit www.asia.si.edu. ìWhistler and His Circle in Veniceî runs through May 5 at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, 500 17th St., NW. For more information, please call (202) 639-1700 or visit www.corcoran.org. Heather Nalbone is a freelance writer in Silver Spring, Md.