James McNeill Whistler [U]

Exhibition On Screen – Directed by David Bickerstaff

James McNeill Whistler is considered by some to be one of the great innovators of 19th century art, he was a contemporary of the Impressionists, much admired by Van Gogh and Manet. Boldly experimental and famously witty, Whistler disrupted the strict conventions of Victorian society in pursuit of a new cult of beauty, creating “art for art’s sake” and earning himself a place in the history of great art. He found a parallel between painting and music, and entitled many of his paintings “arrangements”, “harmonies” and “nocturnes”, emphasising the importance of tonal harmony in his work.

His most famous painting, Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 (1871), commonly known as Whistler’s Mother, is a revered and often parodied portrait of motherhood. Tate Britain is currently holding the first major retrospective of Whistler in three decades and has reawakened people to just how important Whistler is to art history, uniting world-famous masterpieces with rarely seen works. This film will be a chance to get to know this visually spectacular artist and the influence he has had on those who followed.

Due to licensing arrangements tickets for this film are £12 (£7 child/student) available on the door or in advance from the Buxton Opera House box-office (01298 72190) or online.