Book excerpt: "This new study focuses on a little-documented period of Whistler's career: his stay in Venice from 1879 to 1880. Arriving in the footsteps of such renowned artists as Canaletto, Guardi, and Turner, whose enthusiasm for representing the city was shared by so many Grand Tourists, Whistler was determined to do more than simply capture its popular views. He wanted to penetrate further - to achieve a greater understanding of the nature of Venice itself." "As this book reveals, Whistler's struggle to find a "Venice of the Venetians" proved profoundly significant, challenging and redefining the ways in which others viewed the city. It also traces the remarkable breadth of his influence on artists in Europe and the United States, including John Singer Sargent, whose lifelong association with Whistler - begun during their stay in Venice - receives a new, in-depth appraisal. Whistler's impact on pictorial photography, notably on the work of Alfred Stieglitz, is explored here for the first time."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved