Watts Gallery

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Watts Gallery. To get into the festive spirit visit Watts Gallery to see the festive decorations on site. Have a winter walk around the grounds, get cosy in the café and experience a range of historical and contemporary artworks.

Explore the extraordinary lives of the Pattle Sisters in Women of Influence: The Pattle Sisters. See their impactful artwork, learn about their lives and understand their lasting legacy. On until Sunday 3 May 2026.
Enjoy the merge of art and music at Watts Gallery’s special After hours: Sitar Concert and Curator’s Tour on Thursday 4 December. Hear about the remarkable lives of the Pattle sisters in a tour by Watts Gallery’s curators and experience an immersive live concert by the musician Sheema Mukherjee.
Head over to the Watts Contemporary Gallery to see Watts’ annual print exhibition In Print: Seven. Showcasing seven remarkable contemporary female printmakers, echoing the lives and interests of the Pattle sisters. Runs until Sunday 8 February 2026.
Why not get stuck in with a pottery workshop? Create festive ceramics during Watts Pottery: Festive Workshops in December. Develop your throwing skills in the five-week Pottery: Beginners and Improvers Throwing Course in January. Join sculptor Jethro Crabb to learn about the skilful process of portrait sculpture in his masterclass starting Saturday 24 January.
Make yourself something special this Christmas. Book onto one of Watts’ wreath-making courses and add a festive touch to your home. Or gift yourself or a loved one a pottery experience, a treat from the Watts Gallery shop or a Watts Gallery membership.
Families are welcome at Watts. With fun themes children can enjoy creating their own birds in Pottery: Clay Club (weekly on Sundays) or make a festive gingerbread village in The Make Space (Saturday 13 and 20 December).

DON’T FORGET, COMPTON RESIDENTS GET 50% OFF ADMISSION! VALID WITH A PROOF OF ADDRESS.
www.wattsgallery.org.uk.

Mary Watts was mentioned in BBC podcast You’re Dead To Me: The Arts and Crafts Movement: William Morris and his circle. The episode of the comedy-history podcast, hosted by Greg Jenner, is well worth a listen for anyone who wants to learn more about this movement and the artists at its forefront. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00274qh.

Nestled in the beautiful Surrey Hills, Watts Gallery first opened its doors to the public in 1904. It is unique in the UK being the only purpose-built art gallery created for the display of works by a single artist, the great Victorian artist G.F. Watts (1817-1904). Over one hundred paintings and sculptures are on permanent display; spanning a period of 70 years, they include portraits, landscapes and major symbolic works.

Perched on a hillside, overlooking the Gallery sits Limnerslease, the Autumn and Winter home and studio of G.F. and Mary Watts, originally built in the Arts & Crafts style. Limnerslease recently underwent a major restoration project. Don’t miss the chance to join a guided tour and glimpse the start of this nationally important project.

To this day, the legacy of G.F. and Mary Watts lives on, with artists working onsite and a contemporary gallery selling artwork by local and national artists. Watts Gallery also runs an extensive events programme for families, adults and young people, offering the opportunity to improve your art skills, attend a lecture, or meet one of the artists in residence.

George Frederic Watts 1817 - 1904

The English symbolist painter and sculptor George Frederic Watts lived in Compton during the latter years of his life.

George Frederic Watts occupies a unique place in the history of British painting. Famous in his day as a painter and sculptor, he gained the nickname of ‘England’s Michelangelo’. His aim was to re-invent British history painting in a grand manner, making images that were both uplifting and thought provoking. He believed art should also be accessible to everyone, not just the rich, so he gave many of his pictures to public galleries, helping to found the Tate Gallery in 1897.

Watts was a serious individual, so it may therefore come as no surprise that his marriage to the teenage actress Ellen Terry, was short lived. In later life, he married Mary Fraser-Tytler (1886) who was 36 years his junior. Mary devoted the rest of her life to her husband, both during his life and after his death.

In 1891 Watts made Limnerslease his winter retreat and it remained so until his death in 1904. Mary Watts, the inspiration behind the move to Compton and the Chapel, continued to live there until she died in 1938.

Shortly before his death in 1904, G.F. Watts saw the opening of the first and main portion of 'Watts Picture Gallery'.

Cicely Robinson is Curator.

G.F. Watts - Lion & Tiger Fighting. 1830. Aged 13

Watts Chapel

Watts Gallery