I started the morning with strip to Pinn Medical Centre. Both myself and Maggi had a blood test five minutes apart.
She left for Northwick Park and I nipped back home, soon to go out again to tie up with Ray at Harrow-on-Hill. Spring has really arrived, the Magnolia trees are full bloom, which is a magical site. Leaves are appearing on many trees and fresh flowers have sprung up. Such a difference since we left for France 14 days ago.
Ray and I exited the tube at High St Kensington and grabbed a coffee at a nearby cafe. We continued along the high street until we passed the Design Centre and turned right shortly afterwards. We arrived at Leighton House. Before touring the house we descended into the basement and watched a video about the house a Frederick Leighton.
Another room in the basement had a show about Evelyn De Morgan (1855-1919). Many of the images on display feature gold and silver sketches on dark paper, similar in style to the pre-Raphaelites. I particularly liked the sketch below.
After our short diversion inn the basement we entered the building itself which is one of four remaining Victorian Gothic mansions in the local area that were once owned by successful artists. The original group of eight painters were known as the Holland Park Circle.
I expected to enter and find a normal house with pictures on the wall of contemporary artists and the owner, Frederick Leighton. There’s an element of this with pictures of Millais and other painters. However hat impresses most is the interior which is decorated with Arabic style tiles. Several of the rooms have these deep blue tiled interiors.
In addition there is Leighton’ collection of porcelain plates hanging on the walls, interesting furniture and fittings he helped design.
At the top of the house is the studio. A large space where he worked in the summer. He had a separate winter studio which adjoins the main studio. This room is essentially a greenhouse on a flat roof and was designed to let in as much natural light during winter.
After our enjoyable tour of the house we walked up to Holland Park and then through to Kensington Gardens. We walked passed The Serpentine galleries to find one closed to the public while the other had an exhibition we had already seen.
We adjourned to the cafe, The Magazine, beside Serpentine North for a spot of lunch. We had eaten here before and I enjoyed a vegetarian meal consisting of aubergine and celeriac.
We continued our journey across Hyde Park heading to the to the Gagosian Gallery in Mayfair.
The gallery had an exhibition of Stanley Whitney. Ray mentioned that he was a completely abstract painter. All the images were remarkably similar and to me not very inspiring, either in the colour patterns or the shapes. There was nothing else about them at all. It took Ray and I about 5 minutes to walk around and walk out.
From here we walked on to Kingly Street, just behind Regent Street to another gallery, Sadie Coles. She was displaying an artist called Richard Prince. Again neither Ray or I found the work interesting.
Richard had used this phrase, ‘Just my luck I was at the airport when my ship came in’ on many of his canvases with various different backdrops all of a similar style with writing, jokes and cheques pasted on. It didn’t take long before we both we ready to get out. A quick drink in a local pub and we head back home.
A lovely day out in London with good company.