Symphony in White, No. 2: The Little White Girl 1864

Editor: So, here we have James Abbott McNeill Whistler's "Symphony in White, No. 2: The Little White Girl," painted in 1864 with oil paint. The texture in the dress is really striking, almost sculptural. What are your thoughts on it? Curator: What strikes me is the way Whistler uses materials to subtly convey social messages. Notice the stark contrast between the girl's delicate white dress, indicative of a certain class, and the more industrial feel of the painting itself with thick layers of oil paint, the raw materiality speaks to broader social undercurrents and the labor involved in its production. Editor: That's interesting. I was focusing on the artistic style more than the physical materials and labor of production. I hadn’t really thought of the texture as something hinting to something larger. Is there anything about the domestic setting here that plays into that reading? Curator: Absolutely. Think about the wallpaper that you can spot reflected behind her. Also, look closely at the flowers and vase. These objects signify wealth and leisure, things afforded to certain social classes, but crafted and often enjoyed, by the working classes. In contrast to the rough texture of the dress, there’s a dialogue here on consumption. Editor: I see what you mean. So, the art's materials themselves become a language pointing to class and labor... I wouldn't have considered it that way at first. Curator: Precisely. Whistler is drawing our attention to the constructed nature of artistic representation and its link to the means of production. Editor: This perspective makes me rethink how I see the art. Thank you! Curator: It's all about looking past the immediate image and exploring the material circumstances that shaped it. A very enriching exercise indeed.