call for papers: whistler's finish

In 2026 Tate Britain will stage a major new exhibition, James McNeill Whistler. A truly global figure, Whistler re-wrote the rules of what it meant to be an artist. He pioneered new and innovative painting techniques, creating ethereal visions of modern life that would earn him a place as one of the most influential artists of the 19th and 20th centuries.

This retrospective – the first major European exhibition of Whistler’s work in 30 years – brings together the artist’s world-famous paintings alongside rarely, or never seen, works. It includes exquisite portraits, drawings, prints and designs, from as early as his teens in St. Petersburg to the enigmatic late self-portraits.

Underpinning the preparation for this exhibition has been a major conservation research project investigating questions around materials, techniques and ‘finish’ in Whistler’s work. Using evidence from the paintings themselves the project brings together technical findings from twelve works across three collections. Led by Tate and generously funded by the Lunder Foundation, this year long project is a collaboration with project partners Colby College Museum of Art, Maine, USA, and the Hunterian Art Gallery, University of Glasgow, UK. More information about the project can be found here.

To mark this prestigious project we are seeking contributions to a special edition of Tate Papers centring Whistler’s technique, process and finish. Submissions may explore Whistler’s own understanding of when a painting was 'finished', and how the artist used surface 'finish', materially and aesthetically, to craft meaning through his materials, brushwork and handling of paint.  We are also interested in how our 21st-century perceptions of 'finish' intersect or diverge from those of Whistler.