James McNeil Whistler Signed Limited Edition Book - The Gentle Art of Making Enemies (1890) #97/250 - Rare Collectible Art Book for Literature & Art Enthusiasts

Whistler, James McNeil. London: William Heinemann, 1890. SIGNED limited edition #97/250, 


Very Good limited edition , published by William Heinemann, printed by Ballantyne Press. Tan paper boards with gilt title and SIGNED with Whistler’s signature monogram butterfly in pen to front, yellow backstrip, black titling to spine. Bumping to head and foot, tape ghosts and some soiling to cover edges, foxing to endpapers, slightly cocked spine, sturdily bound, clean interior, covered in mylar. Hand-lettered number of limitation and pen drawing of iconic monogram at frontis, 292 pp. James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834 – 1903) was an American artist, printer, writer, philosopher, and raconteur. A lauded realist painter during the Guilded Age, Whistler’s relationships were very public and combative. This book opens with a series of quotes from newspapers describing the attempted, but thwarted, unauthorized publication of Whistler’s letters and personal writings. The book serves as a kind of vendetta, with Whistler proudly demonstrating just how many adversaries he collected, most notably his libel suit against art critic John Ruskin and his oft-quoted feud with Oscar Wilde. Acquired from the private library of photorealist, Robert Bechtle and art historian, Whitney Chadwick.