Join the latest Ruskin Walk at Leighton House Museum, Holland Park, London (coming soon) – book your place here.
Leighton House is a gem, with sumptuous interiors and exquisite decoration, and on the top floor, the recreation of Sir Frederic Leighton‘s studio, where he and other members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB) came to paint and be painted. This summer, the house will also be displaying fabrics from around the world, collected by Essie Sakhai, evoking the appearance of the house from Sir Frederic Leighton’s time.
You will encounter the house much as John Ruskin would have done on one of his visits there. Ruskin was a keen promoter of the works of the PRB and was also a supporter of artisan craftsmanship of which the carpets in the Essie Sakhai collection are amongst the world’s best examples.
Once you have popped in and seen the “Fabric of Life” exhibition, then why not join a Ruskin Walk around the gardens and surrounding streets – the Holland Park neighbourhood that Ruskin and members of the PRB would have walked through. Martin Fidler (creator of the Ruskin Walk) and Andrew Stuck of Rethinking Cities, will lead a Ruskin Walk in the vicinity of the Museum in August / September (dates to be confirmed). You too will observe and explore the neighbourhood as if through Ruskin’s eyes.
As a participant on a Ruskin Walk, you will be introduced to John Ruskin and key members of the PRB – you will receive a unique hand-assembled learning journal to which you can add your own notes and sketches.
Martin Fidler has work showcased in the “Critics Secrets” exhibition at the Mall Galleries and currently has a solo exhibition at the UpDown Gallery in Ramsgate.