Ten O’Clock Lecture by James Abbott McNeil Whistler | Performed by Carl Olson | The Artful Painter 

Ten O’Clock Lecture by James Abbott McNeil Whistler | Performed by Carl Olson | The Artful Painter
James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834 - 1903) was, quite frankly, full of himself. He was also an extraordinary artist. And his infamous lecture "Ten O'Clock" was a bizarre, late-night performance attended by his then-friend Oscar Wilde. The theme "art for art's sakes" is a bit smug. It was more than that - it was the insecure and mercurial Whistler's platform to get his digs in towards those in society that he nurtured a disdain for.
Whistler, born an American, identified himself as a Londoner. Art-making in Europe was in the throes of a massive upheaval. Stodgy allegorical paintings of mythology, pompous larger-than-life portraits of nobility, and grandiose epic landscapes of locations that could only exist in Star Wars movies were threatened by a new group of artists once derisively dismissed as Impressionists. They painted everyday life as they saw it and felt it. Whistler embraced it.
However, author, pontificator, art critic, and, soon-to-be-libelist John Ruskin was aghast at Whistler’s painting in the style of Ruskin’s idol Turner. To Ruskin, Turner painted with noble morality and meaning, whereas Whistler simply painted life before him. Ruskin fumed at seeing a billowing, belching, and polluting industrial factory painted in a style reminiscent of Turner. The audacity of painting the mundane was too much for him. Ruskin lashed out at Whistler accusing him of “flinging a pot of paint in the public’s face.” That smack talk led to Whistler suing Ruskin for libel - a case that Whistler won. Sadly, Whistler could not leave it at that. He seethed for years at the slight. Unfortunately for Whistler, he would tragically develop a pattern of not being able to let go of perceived slights. Close friendships would be shattered by his out-sized ego and inability to forgive and let go. Both the careers and reputations of Ruskin and Whistler would continue to falter until their deaths.
But once again, I’m ahead of myself…
One account describes assembling together for Whistler’s lecture this way: “When the eventful evening arrived there was not a seat to be had for love or money. All the smart people were there.” It must have been an electric experience. Even on a cold February night in London, I imagine as the crowds gathered, the air warmed the main auditorium. Without modern sound reinforcement equipment, it would have been difficult for those towards the back to hear.
With that vision in mind, I decided I just had to do a re-enactment of the lecture.
Intrigued, I read Whistler’s lecture in one sitting. I have to admit I did not at first understand it. His appeal of art for art's sake went over my head on first reading. Part of the problem is one of context - keep in mind it has been 136 years since this lecture was given. Cultural references, celebrities, and memes of the day mentioned in his lecture would be lost to a modern audience. So, I had to do a little digging just to grasp what he was talking about!
As I read Whistler’s lecture, I wondered what it must have been like to be seated in the packed Prince’s Hall auditorium waiting to hear from Mr. Art himself - James Abbott McNeill Whistler.
One account describes assembling together for Whistler’s lecture this way: “When the eventful evening arrived there was not a seat to be had for love or money. All the smart people were there.” It must have been an electric experience. Even on a cold February night in London, I imagine as the crowds gathered, the air warmed the main auditorium. Without modern sound reinforcement equipment, it would have been difficult for those towards the back to hear.
With that vision in mind, I decided I just had to do a re-enactment of the lecture.
You can read the full transcript of Whistler's Ten O'Clock lecture here:
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