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Leighton House Museum
12 Holland Park Road
W14 8LZ
tel: 020 7602 3316

open: 11am-5.50pm Wed-Mon. Open Spring and Summer Bank Holiday Mondays
entry: Free

Guided tours take place every Wednesday and Thursday at 12.00. Also, guided tours for groups can be made by appointment, minimum number 15. A charge is levied for tours.

About the House

Friends of Leighton House

Leighton House was the home of Frederic, Lord Leighton, (1830-1896), the great classical painter and President of the Royal Academy.

The house was built between 1864-79 to designs by George Aitchison and is the expression of Leighton's vision of a private palace devoted to art.

The Arab Hall is the centre piece of Leighton House evoking worlds of the Arabian Nights. The dazzling gilt mosaic frieze, depicting birds and scenes of mythology, the calming murmur of the fountain in the centre of the Arab Hall, and the intricate design of the Isnik tiles, all contribute to an extraordinary vision of the orient. Look out for the tiles featuring birds. On the original tiles the birds have a red cut mark on their necks to indicate that these birds are dead. Islamic laws determined that only non-living things could be represented.

The opulent fantasy extends throughout the other rooms of the House culminating in Leighton's studio, the heart and purpose of the House, with its great north windows and gilded dome and apse.

Leighton House contains a fine collection of Victorian art. Paintings by Leighton, Burne-Jones, Millais and their contemporaries are displayed throughout the house.

Enjoy this wonderful setting for Chamber music recitals in the same study in which Sir Frederick entertained the Prince of Wales and his many other friends to musical soirées, exhibitions of decorative arts, and the house itself with its superb orientalist design - the most sumptuous private house in London.

Friends of Leighton House Museum
Membership Charges: 10.00 pounds per annum

The Friends of Leighton House was founded in 1969 under the Presidency of Sir John Betjeman, C.B.E, and play an important role in the life and activities of the House.

Would you like to help with the preservation and embellishment of an Aesthetic masterpiece? Do you appreciate the glories of Victorian paintings and sculpture, or perhaps you are a supporter of contemporary artists? Are you fascinated by the Orient, or looking for a magnificent venue for receptions or concerts? Would you enjoy exploring the hidden treasures of some of England’s finest houses and gardens?

As a Friend of Leighton House, you can experience all this, and more. Membership entitles Friends to the following privileges:

- 5% discount on hiring Leighton House for your own reception or concert

- Invitations to selected private views and parties

- A regular newsletter keeping Friends in touch with events at Leighton House

- A special programme of events, visits, lectures and concerts

- For corporate Friends, Leighton House is an enchanting place to entertain clients

- Above all, membership of the Friends will enhance your enjoyment of this unrivalled ‘Palace of Art’

Previous projects completed with assistance from the Friends have included important acquisitions, including Leighton's Roman Mother (shown above), and the redecoration and refurbishment of the lavish interiors.

The Friends are always pleased to welcome new members. So, if you are a historian or student of Victorian art, or have visited the Museum and are interested in nineteenth century interiors, or simply like the building and would like to see it prosper, please fill out a membership form.

Contact: The Honorary Secretary Friends of Leighton House Central Library Phillimore Walk London W8 7RX E mail: FriendsofLeightonHouseMuseum@rbkc.gov.uk

Friends of Leighton House Museum
Membership Charges: 10.00 pounds per annum

2001
Kensington Arts & Entertainment - 2001