The Dam Wood
James Abbott McNeill Whistler
Description
Subject Matter:
Whistler’s relationship to Frederick Leyland began to deteriorate over Whistler’s elaborate decoration of the Leyland dining room, known as the Peacock Room. His last visit to their home was in January 1875 and The Dam Wood was executed in the environs of Speke Hall.
By this date, Whistler’s work had already begun to take on a simplified composition and an elimination of details. This work depicting a stand of young trees shows just such a reductive approach. The young trees form a screen of vertical lines very near the picture plane that obscures anything in the distance; this kind of composition flattens the perception of depth and is derived from Japanese prints. Other artists were experimenting with such compositional approaches at this time, such as Camille Pissarro.
Physical Description:
In a desolate, wintery landscape stand a group of leafless trees with tall grasses beyond.
Usage Rights:
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