New acquisitions to the Leighton House collection

Following Frederic Leighton’s death in 1896, his remarkable collection of artwork, furniture, textiles, ceramics, books and metalwork were sold at a Christie’s sale which lasted several days. Since the  Closer to Home restoration project in 2008-10, Leighton House has been working to return objects from Leighton’s original collection to the house, or where that is not possible, acquire similar examples.

Following the major Hidden Gem to National Treasure transformation, a number of new acquisitions are now on display throughout the house, helping to enrich our understanding of Leighton’s extraordinary home.

Oil paintings

George Frederic Watts, Haystacks

George Frederic Watts’ Haystacks (Study of Brighton Downs)  has been recently acquired and will return to Leighton House after 135 years. The painting depicts a group of haystacks on the brow of a hill with a white cloud rising behind them. The simplicity of the composition lends a dignified monumentality to the haystacks, imbuing them with a sense of grandeur beyond their humble purpose. 
Haystacks was gifted to Leighton, apparently because ‘he admired it’ and it was on display in his studio-home, alongside four other paintings by Watts, including the artist’s portrait. 

The painting has been purchased with support from the Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund and a grant from Art Fund.

Lawrence Alma-Tadema, In my Studio

In My Studio (also known as The Corner of the Studio), depicts a glimpse of Alma-Tadema’s own studio and collections at Casa Tadema and was gifted to Leighton in 1893 in exchange for The Bath of Psyche, Leighton’s contribution to Tadema’s famous ‘Hall of Panels’, at Grove End Road, in St. John’s Wood, London. Acquired in 2023, the painting can now be found in the exact location Leighton chose for it in his Silk Room.

In My Studio has been acquired thanks to an Art Fund grant of £350,000, alongside a public fundraising campaign led by The Friends with the aim of raising a further £50,000 towards the cost of the acquisition. Thank you to all our donors, Art Fund and the assistance of Christie’s for making this possible.

Frederic Leighton, View of Maqam al-Arba’in, Mount Qasioun

The re-acquisition of Leighton's Damascus landscape study View of Maqam al-Arba’in, Mount Qasioun (1873) and its return to the walls of Leighton's Studio brings the space a step closer to how it appeared during his lifetime. Leighton rarely exhibited or sold his landscape studies, instead retaining them and displaying them on the walls of his Studio.

Albert Moore, Vase of Dahlias 

Another recent acquisition to the Leighton House collection includes Albert Moore’s Vase of Dahlias, which has returned to its original location in the Silk Room and can be seen in a photograph of the space from the 1890s. A fellow artist and neighbour of the surrounding Holland Park Circle, this work was gifted to Leighton by the artist, probably as a token of thanks in return for Leighton’s support of Moore to the Royal Academy of Art.

Dumbwaiter

This carved two-tier dumbwaiter was also purchased in spring of 2021. Leighton owned a pair of dumbwaiters which sat against the wall in the dining room and were used to display ceramics. In the Christie’s sale catalogue, they are described as having engraved tops which is a highly unusual feature. Leighton seems to have deliberately sought out pieces of furniture which were out of the ordinary and many of the items from his collection have something which sets them apart. This similar carved dumbwaiter will be on display in the dining room of Leighton House.

Chinese Bronze Altar Vase, 14th-16th century

This vase which was acquired in spring 2021 and bears a close resemblance to one owned by Leighton and displayed on a side table at the west end of his studio. In identifying items for acquisition, photographs of the house from Leighton’s lifetime are often the best resource, but the Christie’s sale catalogue is also helpful as it often gives dimensions. In the sale catalogue Leighton’s vase was described as: “A bronze vase, with monster ring handles, band of diaper ornament – 15 inches high.”

Leighton owned a significant collection of Chinese art, but very few pieces from China are on display in the house today. The acquisition of this vase is part of an effort to better represent this side of Leighton’s interests within the house.

Green Windsor chairs

Inspired by the original coloured drawings George Aitchison created of the Silk Room, Leighton House commissioned specialist Windsor Chair Maker, Nigel Briggs, to recreate two chairs from Leighton's original collection, which are now lost.

Completed with a green finish to match the originals, it is thought Leighton purchased the chairs and added the green finish separately. 

As seen in a photograph from 1895, the new chairs will be displayed in their original Silk Room setting when Leighton House reopens this autumn.