Blog
Film Odyssey’s Blog provides updates on our nationally recognized, high-quality cultural and educational programming, broadcast by PBS and distributed internationally.
About the Film
A new documentary by filmmaker Karen Thomas, “James McNeill Whistler & The Case for Beauty”, for the first time examines the life of the man and the course of his career. The one-hour documentary premiered Friday, September 12, 2014 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS stations nationwide.
read moreBonus Video: The Process of Etching
This intriguing video short, produced by Karen Thomas, provides a stunning examination on the process of etching. Follow renowned etcher and master print-maker, Norman Ackroyd, member of the Royal Academy of Arts in London, as he adeptly demonstrates an art form which James McNeill Whistler certainly made his own.
read moreKevin Kline Reads Whistler
Hear Academy Award and two-time Tony Award winning actor Kevin Kline reading from the writings of James McNeill Whistler.
read moreAbout the Artist
In 1855, at the age of 21, James McNeill Whistler left the United States for Europe to study art. He would live the rest of his life abroad, where he would achieve his fame.
read moreVisit the Artwork
To find out where you can visit the art of James McNeill Whistler, check the list of galleries and institutions that house his paintings, prints, drawings, and other works.
read moreBehind the Scenes
View exclusive videos from behind the scenes of the making of the “James McNeill Whistler & The Case for Beauty” on PBS.org/Arts.
read moreTimeline
Born in Lowell, Massachusetts to George Washington Whistler and Anna McNeill Whistler, “Jemie” Whistler would grow up in St. Petersburg, Russia, where his father, at the invitation of Czar Nicholas I, would engineer the Moscow-St. Petersburg railroad…
read moreAbout the Filmmaker
Karen Thomas is an award-winning producer, writer and director whose PBS documentaries include 13 prime-time productions.
read moreWhistler In the Daily News!
David Hinckley, TV Critic for the New York Daily News, praises James McNeill Whistler & The Case for Beauty in his What To Watch review.
read more