Urgent appeal launched to bring home an Alma-Tadema painting gifted to Leighton House with a public fundraising campaign.
Leighton House has launched a public appeal to raise £50,000 before 10 May, towards the acquisition of Lawrence Alma-Tadema’s In My Studio, gifted to Frederic Leighton in 1893 and displayed in the Silk Room at his studio house in Kensington. The acquisition will allow the public to see the artwork in the exact location that Leighton chose for it, reunited with other pictures given to him by his contemporaries, including John Everett Millais, Albert Moore, Marie Cazin and Giovanni Costa.
In My Studio (also known as The Corner of the Studio), depicts a glimpse of Alma-Tadema’s own studio and collections at Casa Tadema and was gifted to Leighton in exchange for The Bath of
The painting was on show at Leighton House as part of the 2017 exhibition: Alma-Tadema: At Home in Antiquity, exploring Tadema’s fascination with ancient Greek and Roman domestic interiors, expressed vividly in his work as well as through the spaces he created at his own home. Bringing back In My Studio will enable the public to appreciate the close links between two fellow artists and friends and gain further understanding about the purpose-built studio-house phenomenon, a defining feature of the late Victorian art world.
Art Fund has offered Leighton House a grant of £350,000 towards the acquisition, in recognition of the museum’s ongoing efforts to recover Leighton’s original collection, dispersed after his death in 1896. The museum has also applied to the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the 3-week public campaign is seeking additional funds to raise £50,000 to contribute to the total cost of the artwork, $1,008,000.
Members of the public are encouraged to donate online, through a dedicated Just Giving campaign page, or via bank transfer and cheque. Visitors at the museum can make contributions of up to £250 with card or any amount in cash. Larger donations can be discussed privately with the Development team at Leighton House.
The campaign is live until Wednesday 10 May 2023.
For information about how to donate please visit https://justgiving.com/campaign/tademastudio
About Leighton House
Leighton House is the former home and studio of the leading Victorian artist, Frederic, Lord
Leighton (1830-1896). It is unique among the capital’s museums in combining an exceptional collection of Victorian art with the intimacy of a private home. The house was designed by his great friend, the architect George Aitchison RA as a showcase for artistic taste and to entertain and impress the foremost artists, collectors and celebrities of the day. The highlight of any visit is the extraordinary Arab Hall which reflects Leighton’s fascination with the Middle East and presents an extraordinary collection of Islamic tiles and mosaic floors. The museum has recently completed a major redevelopment which has provided additional gallery space, a new café, improved facilities and a dedicated learning centre. Both the restored wing and the historic house are now step-free access and interconnected thanks to a lift and a spectacular helical staircase, decorated with a hand-painted contemporary mural.
About Art Fund
Art Fund is the national fundraising charity for art. It provides millions of pounds every year to help museums to acquire and share works of art across the UK, further the professional development of their curators, and inspire more people to visit and enjoy their public programmes. Art Fund is independently funded, supported by Art Partners, donors, trusts and foundations and the 135,000 members who buy the National Art Pass, who enjoy free or discounted entry to over 850 museums, galleries and historic places, 50% off major exhibitions, and receive Art Quarterly magazine. Art Fund also supports museums through its annual prize, Art Fund Museum of the Year. The winner of Art Fund Museum of the Year 2022 is Horniman Museums & Gardens. www.artfund.org
