Found within the district of Holland Park of Chelsea and Kensington, one would arrive at the Leighton House Museum, which once served as the residence of prominent artist, Frederic Lord Leighton. Having been designed by George Aitchison in the year 1864, it was not until the 1929 where public access was granted to the place that showcases some of the finest ever examples of Victorian art. Those wanting a glimpse of the city’s rich past should schedule a visit to the museum and uncover its alluring accomplishments.
Denoting a classical design style, the museum’s exterior comprises of elaborate Caen Stone decorations that adorn the unmistakable red Suffolk bricks. Its aesthetic and orientalist interiors pay tribute to the designers of the 19th century and one may take a tour of the captivating work of Lord Leighton that is on display followed by paintings of his contemporaries as well. The residence was subject to numerous refurbishments and extensions during the period where Leighton resided.
The two-storey tall Arab Hall, which was included between 1877 and 1879, represents a collection of tiles that the lord himself gathered during his travels to the Middle East. These artistic and well-crafted Islamic tiles coupled with its golden dome make for quite an absorbing experience. Stroll along the passage that leads to the hall, which has further been decorated in tiles. Built in accordance with Palermos’s La Zisa Palace, the hall is one of the most important and eye-catching of components at the Leighton House Museum.
However, one must venture upstairs and into the painting studio of the man himself, Lord Leighton. The walls represent some of his best work while most of the paintings are of various stages of completion. The iconic north window is a feature of the room that also served as a meeting place between Queen Victoria and Leighton which took place in 1959. ‘A Noble Lady of Venice’, ‘The Countess of Brownlow’, followed by various other sketchbooks that contain watercolours and paintings can be viewed at in one’s own time. Offering an essence of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, the museum offers visitors the luxury of going over each intricate detail of the works of George Frederick Watts and Jon Everett Millais.
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Umanga Kahandawaarachchi is a passionate travel writer who writes under the pen name, Maggie Tulliver. Her field of writing covers a wide array of content and articles related to travel and hospitality industry.