The house of a Victorian artist and former President of the Royal Academy, Lord Frederic Leighton who died in 1896, will reopen to the public on October 15 following an £8million transformation.
Lord Frederic Leighton was one of the most famous British artists of the 19th century and was well acquainted with members of the royal family and with most of the great artists, writers and politicians of the late Victorian era.
Situated on the edge of Holland Park, Kensington, Leighton House is famed for its opulent interiors, including the extraordinary Arab Hall featuring exquisite mosaic floors and tiles acquired through Leighton’s travels to Turkey, Egypt and Syria.
The project to restore it has focused on the 20th century additions made in a new wing at the east end of the original house.
This has been completely refurbished revealing original historic features and creating new exhibition spaces and displays, the De Morgan café which opens onto the redesigned garden, a new Learning Centre and a collections store.
Full step-free access is also provided across the building.
Designed by architects, engineers and consultants from BDP, the project also sees the recovery and restoration of parts of Leighton’s house lost in changes made in the 20th century.
Leighton’s Winter Studio, an extension of the original house supported on cast iron columns and built at the end of the 1880s to allow him to work through the winter months, is restored and integrated into the rest of the house interiors.
The Entrance Hall has been reinstated as it was in Leighton’s day, featuring a large painting from the workshop of Dome-nico Tintoretto, which formed part of Leighton’s original collection.
A separate entrance to the house, specifically used by Leighton’s models, is also revealed.
The new wing features a series of commissions that respond to the interiors of the house and continue the house’s dialogue with artists and craftsmanship from the Middle East and North Africa.
Oneness, the first contemporary artwork on permanent display at the museum, is an 11-metre-high mural hand-painted by the Iranian artist Shahrzad Ghaffari, which envelopes the curved walls of a new helical staircase across three floors.
Inspired by a 13th century poem by Rumi exploring cultural unity, its turquoise calligraphic brushstrokes reference the distinctive tiles from the iconic Arab Hall.
A suite of commissioned furniture handmade by Syrian artisans based in Amman, Jordan, is also featured in the new spaces.
Daniel Robbins, senior curator of Leighton House, said: “The culmination of this many-sided project marks a truly transformational moment where both Leighton House and Sambourne reopen under a joint vision, intended to widen appreciation and enjoyment of Victorian culture, while forging meaningful connections with the contemporary world.”
Website: Leighton House and Sambourne House | RBKC Museums
Main Picture: Leighton House- Image courtesy of Jaron James
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