Whistler’s Woman in White

Delightful exhibition at the Royal Academy looking at the relationship between James Whistler and Joanna Hiffernan and the art that emerged from it.

The show brought together the three Symphony in White pictures from the National Gallery in Washington, the Tate and the Barber Institute in Birmingham and put them into context. It was lovely so see the Wapping painting also over from Washington, which is the first picture which featured Hiffernan along with the sketches for it and to see her discussed as his partner and a person in her own right not just as a muse.

I liked the edition of a room of prints and a focus on Whistler’s illustration work which also featured Hiffernan. Also the room on the influence of Japanese prints and ceramics including one of the fans that can be see in a picture. Another nice touch was to have three of the four pictures Courbet painted of Hiffernan brushing her hair and a discussion of the holiday he joined Whistler and Hiffernan on to the Normandy Coast.

The show finished with a room of pictures influenced by the Symphonies in White from Millais, Khnopff, Herter and Klimt which made you realise the effect the three pictures had on artistic expression.

Closes 22 May 2022

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