Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Monday, No holiday for me.
Take these and piece them together and tell me who and what I am hinting about. Painter, Washington D.C. museum, a great hater and overall pain in the rear, painting that includes a footrest, blue and white porcelain, shipping magnate, womanizer, fired for doing some of his best work. Wood is involved, as is color. One of the first doing this type of job. Answer Monday evening.
Hints.
Mid to late 1800's, he was not a shipping magnate but the story and his identity is linked to one. Part of the aesthetic movement.
Re: Last hints till end
American that lived mostly in England, flunked out of West Point (Chemistry was his downfall) bounced by Commandant Robt. E. Lee, no less, later produced a room that was unauthorized, but regarded as one of the finest rooms ever made/designed--but was fired for it. Thought of art as a stand alone disipline and should be regarded as its own end not as an adjunct to something else. Failed numerous times before achieving success as a painter and the picture he made that includes a footrest is one of the best portraits in American art. Somewhat of a 19th century dandy with a very aggressive personality. He's featured in at least two of the Smithsonian museums. Still looking for the person's name and the room he designed.
Re: Last hints till end
Surely you refer to James Abbot McNiell . . . and if that's not enough you can just whistle for the rest of it!
Monday answer.
http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/whistler/
Verne got the name. James A.M.Whistler is the answer. The room is the multi shelved, paneled, and shuttered peacock room which has been transported to the Smithsonian's Freer Gallery in Washington, D.C., which also has his pictures there, and also in the American Art Museum. As one of the most famous rooms ever, the peacock room is not as it was supposed to be. It was supposed to be completely different colors to highlight shipping magnate, a Mr. Leyland�s blue and white Chinese porcelain collection. Whistler got in a tiff and not only changed the room without permission, but painted symbolic peacocks for Mr. Leyland, entertained Mr. Leyland�s wife, and the then in Leyland�s absence had parties to show off the room (and charged admission) to others. These and other transgressions got him fired. As to the footrest it is plainly seen in the Whistler�s Mother portrait (actually named Arrangement in Grey and Black: Portrait of the Painter's Mother). Whistler it turns out was one of the first room decorators hired for that purpose although he didn�t much listen to the client (so what has changed?). More on Whistler on the link above.