A Life Shaped by Aestheticism: The World of James Abbott McNeill Whistler James Abbott McNeill Whistler, born in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1834, was a figure perpetually at odds with convention—a painter who championed “art for art’s sake” during an era obsessed with moralizing narratives. His early life, marked by frequent relocations due to his father's railroad engineering career, instilled within him a sense of adaptability and exposure to diverse environments. A brief, unhappy stint at West Point proved ill-suited to his artistic temperament, followed by work with the U.S. Coast and Geod…