Leighton House, Art museum in Holland Park, London, England
Leighton House is a museum in Holland Park within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, housed in a former 19th-century artist's residence. The central Arab Hall with its gilded dome and tiles from different Islamic lands connects with additional exhibition rooms through a small courtyard.
The painter Frederic Leighton, who later became president of the Royal Academy, commissioned this house starting in 1866 and expanded it until shortly before his death in 1895. The property evolved over three decades from a simple dwelling into an extensive collection of studios and formal reception spaces.
This place carries the name of its first resident, who worked and hosted guests here throughout his lifetime. The rooms still show how a successful artist in Victorian London received visitors in a mix of European and Eastern influences.
The museum opens Wednesday through Monday and sits about a ten-minute walk from two underground stations. Visitors should plan at least an hour to explore the different rooms and collections at a comfortable pace.
The Eastern tiles on the walls date from the 16th century and were produced in different workshops around the Ottoman Empire. A separate winter studio was added in 1889 to give the artist more working space under natural light.
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