Trust visit to the Watts Gallery, Tuesday 12th April - TrustNews Jun 16
On a beautiful sunny day in April Trust members enjoyed a memorable visit to the Watts Gallery near Compton in Surrey. After refreshments on arrival , we were escorted to ‘Limnerslease’, the home of George and Mary Watts.
Although George was the more renowned of the two, Mary displayed her prowess in sculpture. Her intricate design of the ceiling in the entrance hall and her collection of artefacts portrayed her interest in a diversity of religions and cultures. A studio at the top of the house holds a collection of memorabilia of early life in the village.
Alter lunch we were given a wonderfully informative tour of paintings by George housed in the ‘Gallery’. Huge castings of his sculptures were on display in the basement.
Mary loved pottery and encouraged local people to participate in weekly terracotta pottery classes, which continued long after George's death in 1904. Nearby in the local cemetery Mary's expertise can be seen in the designing and building of a Mortuary Chapel in terracotta, dedicated to a variety of religious practices. She also designed the building of cloisters in the cemetery.
My thanks to lain Patton for arranging this remarkable trip.