Life of James McNeill Whistler, . aking it up. But people amused him, and he enjoyedthe parade of life. This is the explanation of the dandyism thathas shocked more than one of his critics. Whistler was never contentwith half-measures. He would not have played the social game atall had he not been able to play it well, and if taking infinite pains withhis appearance means dandyism, then he was a dandy. The very wordpleased him, and he used it often, in American fashion, to expressperfection or charm or beauty. Never was any man more particularabout his person and his dress. He was as careful o
Life of James McNeill Whistler, . aking it up. But people amused him, and he enjoyedthe parade of life. This is the explanation of the dandyism thathas shocked more than one of his critics. Whistler was never contentwith half-measures. He would not have played the social game atall had he not been able to play it well, and if taking infinite pains withhis appearance means dandyism, then he was a dandy. The very wordpleased him, and he used it often, in American fashion, to expressperfection or charm or beauty. Never was any man more particularabout his person and his dress. He was as careful of his hair as a woman,though there was no need of the curling-tongs with which he has beenreproached ; the difficulty was to restrain his curls and keep them inorder. The white lock gave just the right touch. However fashionchanged, he always wore the moustache and little imperial whichother West Point men of his generation retained through life. Evenhis thick bushy eyebrows were trained, ;pnd thev adde£ to the humorousI32 [1874. NOCTURNEBLUE AND GOLD, VALPARAISO BAY OIL In the possession of Charles L. Freer, Esq. (Seepage 99) The Open Door or sardonic expression of the deep blue eyes from which many beautiful hands and nails were beautifully kept. In his dresswas always something a little different from that of other men. Hisclothes were speckless, faultless, fitting irreproachably. He preferredpumps to boots, short sack-coats to tailed coats. His linen was of thefinest, and a little Butterfly was embroidered on his handkerchief;and his near-sightedness was a reason for the monocle of which heknew how to make such good use. He was long at his toilet, minutein every detail. Before entering a drawing-room we have seen himpause to adjust his curls and his cravat. So it was with was dandyism in his delicate handwriting, and the same carewent to the arrangement of his cards of invitation and his letters ;he would consider even the placing of his signatu
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