Existing comment:
The Peacock Room Revealed
Enjoy the Peacock Room as Whistler saw it -- as a work of art in itself.
The history of the Peacock Room begins when it was the dining room in the London home of Frederick Leyland, an early patron of American expatriate artist James McNeill Whistler. Leyland proudly displayed his extensive collection of Kangxi blue-and-white porcelain on the room's shelves. Starting in 1876, Whistler redecorated the room as a "harmony in blue and gold." He painted every surface of the room, from the decorative ceiling to the large window shutters, with patterns and colors inspired by peacocks.
For a short time, the shelves are temporarily empty in preparation for a new installation of Chinese porcelain. The unobstructed views of the exposed walls provide a rare opportunity to see the designs and tonal harmonies as Whistler intended -- and to appreciate the Peacock Room as a work of art itself. |