A NEW film exploring the life and work of influential artist James McNeill Whistler is coming to Chepstow next week.

CHACE, Chepstow Arts Culture and Entertainment, will screen Exhibition on Screen: James McNeill Whistler at the Drill Hall on Tuesday, September 15 at 7.30pm.

The new film coincides with a major retrospective of Whistler's work at Tate Britain in London, which runs until September 27 and is the first major European exhibition devoted to the artist in 30 years.

Made in close collaboration with Tate Britain and directed by David Bickerstaff, the film takes audiences inside the exhibition while exploring the story of the American-born artist, who became one of the most distinctive figures in 19th-century art.

Whistler was known for challenging Victorian artistic conventions and for his belief in "art for art's sake". He frequently gave his paintings musical titles including "arrangements", "harmonies" and "nocturnes", reflecting his interest in colour and tonal harmony.

Among his best-known works is Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1, painted in 1871 and more commonly known as Whistler's Mother, which has become one of the world's most recognisable portraits.

The Tate exhibition brings together famous paintings alongside rarely seen works, tracing Whistler's career from his teenage years in St Petersburg through his portraits, prints, drawings and designs to his later self-portraits.

Organisers say the accompanying Exhibition on Screen film will introduce audiences to both Whistler's experimental approach to art and his colourful public persona, as well as examining the influence he had on later generations of artists.

The screening at the Drill Hall begins at 7.30pm, with doors opening at 7pm. Reserved seats can be booked online in advance through CHACE, while tickets will also be available on the door. The film is being released in cinemas across Britain on the same day.