The Peacock Room was once the dining room in the London home
of Frederick R. Leyland, a wealthy shipowner from Liverpool,
England. Leyland commissioned the American-born artist James
McNeill Whistler (18341903) to paint the dining room.
Between 1876 and 1877, Whistler brightened the room with golden
peacocks, painting every inch of the ceiling and walls to create
an elegant setting in which Leyland could display his blue-and-white
porcelain as well as Whistler's painting, The Princess from
the Land of Porcelain. Purchased by Charles Lang Freer
(18541919) in 1904 and installed in the Freer Gallery
of Art after his death, the Peacock Room is on permanent display.
The
Peacock Room online brochure explains the story behind this
famous room, the relationship between patron Frederick Leyland
and Whistler, and the recent three-year conservation project
that restored the intricate patterns, colors, and designs of
Whistler's work.