Which artist are you?
Take our quiz to find out whether you're more of a Frederic Leighton or Linley Sambourne
Would you rather go to a...
A. Life drawing class
B. Photography class
Where would you rather holiday?
A. Somewhere hot in the subtropics, like Morocco or Damascus
B. Somewhere more temperate, like the Scottish Highlands or France
What’s more likely to be on your bookshelf?
A. Tomes on art and architecture
B. Travel and adventure stories
Would you rather decorate your home…
A. With tiles from the Middle East
B. With William Morris prints
How would you rather spend your free time?
A. At a music concert
B. Horse riding
What relationship status would you choose?
A. Single and child free
B. Committed family life
Find out which artist you are below...
Which artists are you? Frederic Leighton or Linley Sambourne
Mostly A’s
You are...Frederic Leighton
Frederic Leighton was one of the great Victorian draughtsman and often drew from life. His drawings were among his most prized possessions and today the Leighton House collection contains nearly 700 drawings that span the length of his career.
Travel was an important part of Leighton’s life from childhood. As well as visiting the sites of Europe, Leighton ventured to Morocco, Algeria, Syria and Egypt – sparking his interest in the arts of the Islamic world.
It was Leighton’s trip to Damascus in 1873 which laid the foundations for the collection of tiles that line the walls of the Arab Hall extension.
Leighton owned an extensive book collection, including publications by fellow artists, such as 'Notes by Mr Ruskin on His Collection of Drawings by J. M. W. Turner'.
Outside of art, Leighton was passionate about music and would host an annual music concert in his studio - he was an accomplished musician himself!
Leighton never married and although publicly he was something of a social butterfly, he lived a closely guarded private life. While speculation has questioned both his relationship with his principal model, Dorothy Dene, as well as whether he may have been homosexual, no definitive evidence has come to light.
Mostly B’s
You are...Linley Sambourne
Linley Sambourne first took up photography as a visual aid for planning out his cartoons, and later joined the Camera Club and started street photography. By the time he died in 1910, he had amassed an extraordinary 30,000 images.
Often travelling with his sketchbook in hand, Sambourne used his holiday drawings to illustrate the books ‘Our Holiday in the Scottish Highlands’ and ‘Our Autumn Holiday on French Rivers’.
As well as travel books, Sambourne also illustrated a number of children’s adventure books, including 'The Water Babies', ‘Three Tales by Hans Anderson’ and 'The Real Adventures of Robinson Crusoe'.
When the Sambournes moved into the house in 1875, they immediately redecorated the interiors in the fashionable aesthetic style, including installing Morris & Co. wallpapers - even on the ceilings!
A keen horseman, Linley Sambourne’s diaries often record his horse riding jaunts around London, from Richmond Park to Battersea Park. Amongst the horses recorded are ‘Cobweb’, ‘Punch’, ‘Folkestone’ and ‘Marquis’.
A dedicated family man, Linley Sambourne married Marion Herapath in 1874 and moved into 18 Stafford Terrace shortly afterwards, where they lived for the rest of their lives as the Sambourne family with their children Roy and Maud.