James Abbott McNeill Whistler (10 July 1834 - 17 July 1903) was an American-born painter, who spent most of his life in Great Britain. He was a great advocate of the art for art's sake philosophy and he was one of the leaders of the Aesthetic Movement. Many influences can be found in Whistler's work, including Rembrandt, Vela zquez, Japanese art and Ancient Greek sculpture. Despite creating over 500 paintings, he was equally talented in using many other media. His most famous piece is Whistler's Mother, painted in 1871.