Whistler's Peacock Room

This is Whistlers relocated Peacock room. I believe this is reason we call it "Peacock blue". Other than the fact that real peacocks are often this color blue also. The room was moved from its original home in London in the 1920's. All the walls, ceiling included, are lined in leather and then painted. Originally the owner of the home wanted to leave them exposed leather but Whistler took the oppertunity to paint the entire thing when his patron was conveinently out of town. (He didn't really like the guy and depicts him here as the arrogant peacock on the right to the beautiful Whistler on the left.) Then he signed the room in several places to turn the whole room into a 3-D painting and threw a big party for himself. By the time his patron got back to London everyone just loved Whistler and the Peacock room and totally forgot about the guy who owned the house (myself included.)

Mister Who-Ever-He-Was had no choice but to leave the room the way it was even though it had a picture of him as a pompus peacock. But luckly he died soon after, never leaving him enough time to go to a good therapist who would have told him it was his room and he could paint it what ever color he damn well pleased. Thank goodness Dr. Phil wasn't born yet.

Painting in the Peacock Room. Notice balance between the blue, gold, pink and red. (That's for you, Erin Sanchez.)

This is an installation of silver ware and hot peppers call the "Forked Tongue." It was so pretty and the guard yelled at me when I took this picture. I live a wild life here in DC. (This one is for Cindy)