EOS: James McNeill Whistler

Dir. David Bickerstaff | 2026 | 90 mins | English

In an era of great change and great beauty emerged the character of James McNeill Whistler. Considered by some to be one of the great innovators of 19th century art, he was a contemporary of the Impressionists, much admired by Van Gogh and Manet. Boldly experimental and famously witty, Whistler disrupted the strict conventions of Victorian society in pursuit of a new cult of beauty, creating “art for art’s sake” and earning himself a place in the history of great art. He found a parallel between painting and music, and entitled many of his paintings "arrangements", "harmonies" and "nocturnes", emphasizing the importance of tonal harmony in his work. His most famous painting, Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 (1871), commonly known as Whistler's Mother, is a revered and often parodied portrait of motherhood.  It is arguably one of the most famous paintings in history and this film will unveil the artist behind the art.

Tate Britain is now holding the first major retrospective of Whistler in three decades.  This blockbuster exhibition promises to reawaken the world to just how important Whistler is to art history, uniting world-famous masterpieces with rarely seen works. Exhibition on Screen will bring these stunning works and the incredible story behind them to cinemas around the world while the exhibition is still running, bringing this truly global artist to a global audience. This will be an unmissable chance to get to know this visually spectacular artist and the influence he has had on those who followed.

Shown in collaboration with Art Society Falmouth more information here. 

Exhibition On Screen: James McNeill Whistler (Age Rating Unconfirmed)

Thursday 17th September, 6.00pm

Tickets:  £9.50/£8.00/£7.00

A £1 Poly Fund payment is added to each ticket sold. A 50p booking fee is also applied per ticket for online and telephone transactions.

Please be aware films will start at the advertised time, we rarely show adverts and usually show under 5 minutes of trailers.