Watts Gallery

What’s on in May

Opening on Thursday 21 May, Watts Gallery presents a vibrant exhibition celebrating one of Britain’s most influential designers. The Art of Wallpaper: Morris & Co. explores the beauty, craftsmanship and enduring appeal of William Morris’s iconic designs. Get up close to original wallpapers from the archives of Morris & Co. and discover the connections between William and May Morris and the circle of artists associated with Watts Gallery. Exhibition runs until Sunday 10 January 2027.

Fired Legacies: The Ceramic World of Rich Miller is on display in Watts Contemporary Gallery. In his first major solo show, ceramicist and Channel 4’s The Great Pottery Throwdown judge Rich Miller delves into his own heritage and explores intersections with British colonial history. All works for sale, free entry above the Shop. Exhibition on display until Sunday 28 June 2026.
See a unique dinner service installation in Limnerslease, created by nine artists from HMP Send. Inspired by the Famous Women Dinner Service designed in the 1930s by artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, the Women of ‘Our Time’ Dinner Service imagines a range of contemporary guests – male and female – that Mary Watts might invite to a dinner party. On display until Monday 31 August 2026.
Discover more to the Watts Gallery collection with a Collections Curator tour with Penny Hines on Thursday 14 May. Step behind the door marked ‘Private’ and enjoy “An hour in the archive” with Hilary Underwood on Thursday 21 May.
Surrey residents enjoy 2 for 1 entry to Watts Gallery on Saturday 9 May with proof of address. And it’s our monthly ‘Pay if and what you can’ day on Wednesday 6 May. Explore everything Watts Gallery has to offer at a reduced price.
The May half term is right around the corner! Have an adventure with a day out at Watts Gallery. Enjoy a range of free- with-admission activities, from dress-up stations to giant games. Plus, enjoy an exciting new family trail inspired by The Art of Wallpaper exhibition. Discover art in a playful way and search for a group of cheeky wombats hiding across the site with the William Morris Wombat Trail, also included with admission.

For more information and to book tickets, visit wattsgallery.org.uk/whats-on

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