Colour Scheme for the Dining-Room of Aubrey House 1873

James McNeill Whistler crafted this study for "Colour Scheme for the Dining-Room of Aubrey House" using watercolour. The composition relies on horizontal bands and a restrained palette dominated by hues of gold, tan, and cream, subtly divided by delicate lines of muted purple. Whistler manipulates the wash of the watercolour to create a sense of depth and texture, which invites us to look closely at the interplay between colour and form. Whistler was deeply engaged with ideas of formalism and art for art’s sake. Colour Scheme embodies these principles through its emphasis on the aesthetic arrangement of colours and shapes, more than representational accuracy. The painting thus becomes a field for pure visual sensation. Notice how Whistler challenges conventional artistic values by focusing on harmony and tonal relationships. It is within these relationships that we begin to destabilize our understanding of art as imitation and embrace art as a self-referential practice.