Rex Whistler’s controversial Tate mural was a ‘work of the past’, artist’s family insist

Rex Whistler’s family has intervened in a racism row over the artist’s giant mural in the Tate by defending the controversial piece as a “work of the past”.

Descendants of the late British artist have issued a joint statement suggesting it was “perhaps unsurprising” that Whistler painted Oriental figures on the wall of a gallery restaurant nearly 100 years ago, given he had taken inspiration from 18th Century Chinese wallpapers.

However the family said they accepted that Whistler’s depiction of black figures was “demeaning and derogatory”, adding that they backed a consultation that could see the mural removed altogether, or the restaurant closed.

It comes after Tate Britain’s ethics committee said the giant mural in the Rex Whistler restaurant was “unequivocally … offensive” in a report to board members, who include the BBC director general Tim Davie, and Dame Moya Greene, the former boss of Royal Mail.

The report recommended that Tate bosses take immediate action because “the context around the mural has shifted decisively” in recent years.

Painted by Whistler in 1927, the mural titled The Expedition in Pursuit of Rare Meat tells the story of an imagined hunting expedition involving the Duke of Epicurania.

A section depicts the enslavement of a black child being led on a leash, and caricatures of Chinese characters.

Earlier this year the Tate responded to complaints about the work by removing a reference to the Rex Whistler restaurant as “the most amusing room in Europe”.

Whistler was one of the foremost British artists of the twentieth century and was killed in action in 1944 during the Second World War.

A spokesman for the Whistler family told the Telegraph that they wished to “acknowledge the harm caused by racial imagery contained within the work”, adding: “We comprehend that seeing this imagery on the walls of a restaurant is hurtful.”

The statement continued: “It is the work of the past. Rex chose to reference 18th century Chinese wallpapers and their European imitations in the work, designs for which typically included panoramic views of idealised architecture, landscapes and pastoral or ‘Oriental’ figures.  

“Given the source material Rex was using for inspiration, it is perhaps unsurprising to see Orientalist caricatures depicted in the mural. However, such imagery is now rightly considered offensive.”

The family added that they accepted Whistler’s depiction of black characters in the mural was wrong.

“Although including Black people in subordinate roles was not uncommon in 18th century painting, these figures have no precedent in the wallpapers Rex was referencing,” the statement said.

“Both the style in which they are drawn and their role in the narrative of the mural is demeaning and derogatory.

“Given this, we consider the complaints raised about the mural to be understandable, and we welcome the Tate’s openness to consultation on this issue.”

Experts have speculated that the consultation could lead to the closure of the restaurant given the work was restored in 2013 as part of a revamp costing £45m, and is part of the building’s Grade I listed interior.

A Tate spokesman said: “The fine dining restaurants at Tate Modern and Tate Britain both remain closed until at least autumn 2021,” a Tate statement read. “As reported in the summer, we are taking this time to consult internally and externally on the future of the room and the mural, and we will keep the public informed of future plans.”

The consultation will be launched in the new year.