Description:
Leighton House is inextricably linked to the life of its only occupant, Frederic, Lord Leighton. Constructed between 1865 and 1896, Leighton was closely involved in the house’s design and wholly responsible for the collections of fine and decorative art that filled it. By the time of his death in 1896, it had become his extraordinary private Palace of Art. In 2007 the restoration project began with the aim of returning the house to its full glory and enhancing visitor engagement. Through painstaking research and analysis and skilled craftsmanship, the house now expresses Leighton’s personal vision and ambition for it, bringing it ‘Closer to home’. The Museum now also offers a richer and more formalized cultural and education programme. Leighton House is considered one of Britain’s most remarkable buildings of the 19th century. It is a unique venue for the understanding and appreciation of Victorian art and architecture, as well as the wider cultural and artistic life of Europe in the latter half of the 19th Century. The great success of this project has been to preserve and enhance the special ambience of a very personal artistic and architectural conception.