Watts Chapel
by Shirley Mitchell
Title
Watts Chapel
Artist
Shirley Mitchell
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Designed and built by Mary Watts, Watts Chapel lies just outside Compton in Surrey England. The Chapel is a unique fusion of art nouveau, Celtic, Romanesque and Egyptian influence with Mary's own original style. It is impossible not to admire the work and inspiration that lies behind this beautiful little building.
As followers of the Home Arts and Industries Association, set up by Earl Brownlow in 1885 to encourage handicrafts among the lower classes, the Chapel was the Watts's contribution to this characteristically Victorian preoccupation with social improvement through creative enlightenment. Mary passionately believed that anyone with a real interest and enthusiasm could be taught how to produce beautiful decoration, if in the process it kept them away from the 'gin palaces' of Guildford, this was surely a good thing. With this belief firmly in mind she encouraged all from the village, whatever their social status, to come their house Limnerslease for instruction in clay modelling. the clay was from a local.
The exterior of the Chapel was finished in 1898, but the decoration of the interior took a while longer. Mary took the most talented of her craftsmen and women and together they created the stunning gesso interior, finally completing it in 1904.
Uploaded
October 31st, 2013
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