Author: Mark Bills
G.F Watts and Mary Watts at Compton.
This book tells the story of the impact of George Frederic Watts, OM, RA (1817-1904) and his wife Mary Seton Watts 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 nationall significant site, it includes a gallery that holds an internationally important collection, an Arts and Crafts chapel by Mary Watts, a great studio house named 'Limnerslease' designed by Sir Ernest George, and the Compton Pottery buildings.
More that a guide, this book presents a complete history that will appeal to readers who wish to know the story of an 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.
