Watts Gallery

With December just around the corner. Watts Gallery is starting to decorate the site. From Saturday 15 November Christmas arrives at Watts. Discover the beautifully decorated Limnerslease house and begin your Christmas shopping at the Watts Gallery Shop.

It is your last chance to see Scented Visions: Smell in Art 1850 – 1915. See the captivating artworks that explore the power of scent before the exhibition ends on Sunday 9 November.
Don’t miss the Contemporary Gallery’s exhibition of satirical cartoons, Peter Brookes: Political Cartoonist of The Times, which will be on display until Sunday 23 November.
Women of Influence: The Pattle Sisters opens on Thursday 27 November in the main Gallery. Uncovering the untold stories of seven remarkable women, come and see diverse artworks that unveil their impactful life and legacy.
Watts’ annual print exhibition, In Print: Seven opens on Thursday 27 November in the Contemporary Gallery. Full of colour and diverse styles, discover the printed impressions which echo the stories of the Pattle sisters’ lives.
Begin your families’ festivities with Watts Gallery’s Pottery: Clay Club sessions (weekly on Sundays) or get stuck in at Watts Tots explorers or artists sessions on Friday mornings.
To continue Mary Watts’ creative legacy, Watts Gallery runs a range of pottery workshops from throwing taster sessions (weekly on Thursdays) to festive workshops (Wednesdays and Fridays). Come independently or book with friends and family to make something unique and special you can take home.

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