An Artists' Village

An Artists' VillageThis book tells the story of the impact of George Frederic Watts, OM, RA (1817 1904) and his wife Mary Seton Watts (Fraser Tytler 1849 1938) on Compton, a small village in Surrey. Initially, the village acted as an autumn and winter retreat for the artist and the designer, but became the permanent base for their work and the home of the Watts Gallery, the Compton Pottery with its studios and workshops, and the extraordinary Cemetery Chapel. A

This book tells the story of the impact of George Frederic Watts, OM, RA (1817- 1904) and his wife Mary Seton Watts (Fraser Tytler 1849- 1938) on Compton, a small village in Surrey. Initially, the village acted as an autumn and winter retreat for the artist and the designer, but became the permanent base for their work and the home of the Watts Gallery, the Compton Pottery with its studios and workshops, and the extraordinary Cemetery Chapel. A nationally significant site, it includes a Gallery that holds an internationally important collection, an Arts & Crafts Chapel by Mary Watts, a great studio house named 'Limnerslease' designed by Sir Ernest George, and the Compton Pottery buildings. More than a guide, this book presents a complete history that will appeal to readers who wish to know the story of a unique Artists' Village. It is richly illustrated with new photography, historic photographs and contextual material, which give a sense of the significance of art and artists in the late nineteenth century, and reveal a continuous and living philosophy at the heart of a Surrey village.