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What was the Peacock Room created by James McNeill Whistler?

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The Peacock Room, formally titled Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (1876–77), is a celebrated decorative interior created by James McNeill Whistler.1

Originally the dining room of F.R. Leyland, an English shipping magnate, the space was intended to house Whistler’s painting, Rose and Silver: The Princess from the Land of Porcelain. Leyland permitted the artist to redecorate the room to better harmonize with the artwork, but the project evolved into a creative "prank" where Whistler significantly exceeded his commission.21

Using the peacock as his primary motif, Whistler painted over antique leather wallcoverings and trimmed borders off Oriental rugs to craft an exotic, immersive atmosphere of gold and turquoise. The room features two prominent gold peacocks with crystal eyes on the wall opposite the painting. While the work is now considered a masterpiece, it failed to please Leyland at the time. The entire room was later purchased by Charles Lang Freer and is currently housed at the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.21