Whistler Author:Sandra Forty Although American by birth and heritage, James McNeill Whistler spent most of his life in western Europe, particularly in Paris and London, where he lived his life in a swirl of controversy over his art and his often self aggrandizing behavior, which tainted his associations with fellow artists and the public. His guiding principle was "art for ... more »art's sake" meaning that the artist should only work to please himself.« less