“Art should be independent of all claptrap —should stand alone [...] and appeal to the artistic sense of eye or ear, without confounding this with emotions entirely foreign to it, as devotion, pity, love, patriotism and the like…” - James McNiell Whistler 

James McNeill Whistler, an English painter (moved to US in 1863) and engraver is an important innovator in his own right, has played a significant role as one of the links between paintings in France and England during the latter half of the 19th century. Japanese wood prints drew attention of European artist during the second half of 19th century. Whistler was one of the first artists to take interest in Japanese prints, not only for their exotic qualities but also for their compositional schemes in parallel planes, making much use of horizontal and vertical planes. Probably is greatest importance, in France but even more so in England, was his refusal to regard art on anything but pure aesthetic basis- Art for Art’s Sake.
(Read more:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Abbott_McNeill_Whistler; December 17, 2012)

Plate 4A Arrangement in Grey and Black (The Artist's Mother (1871)  (Popularly known as Whistler's Mother)

4B Symphony in White, No.1 (The White Girl, 1862)

4C Symphony in White, No.2