1867 (ca.), James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Symphony in White, No. III -- Courtauld Gallery (London) (special exhibition)
From the exhibition label: Shown at the Royal Academy in 1867, this painting was the first in a series of works that Whistler exhibited under the title of 'symphony'. By aligning his work with music, Whistler gave primary importance to form, tone and colour, opposing many of his contemporaries' emphasis on narrative. He took inspiration from Japanese art, which is evident here in his arrangement of the figures against a flattened space, framed by flowers to the right and accented by a patterned fan in the foreground.
1867 (ca.), James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Symphony in White, No. III -- Courtauld Gallery (London) (special exhibition)
From the exhibition label: Shown at the Royal Academy in 1867, this painting was the first in a series of works that Whistler exhibited under the title of 'symphony'. By aligning his work with music, Whistler gave primary importance to form, tone and colour, opposing many of his contemporaries' emphasis on narrative. He took inspiration from Japanese art, which is evident here in his arrangement of the figures against a flattened space, framed by flowers to the right and accented by a patterned fan in the foreground.