A new exhibition at the Leighton House museum in Holland Park displays 21 Victorian-era paintings from the collection of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
The works are part of H&F's larger Cecil French Collection – a bequest from the artist and collector Cecil French (1879–1953) after his death.
The exhibition – titled Victorian Treasures from the Cecil French Bequest – showcases a curated selection of paintings and drawings by Victorian masters. It places the artworks in context, exploring French as a collector during an unsettling time where Victorian art completely fell out of fashion.
Cllr Sharon Holder, Mayor of Hammersmith & Fulham, spoke at opening night on Thursday (22 May). She said: "Showcasing work from our Cecil French Collection at Leighton House is a major milestone toward our aim to make these astounding pieces of art available to both H&F residents and the wider public.
"It also brings us closer to our long-term aspiration for the collection to be permanently on display in our borough."
What is on show?
At the centre of the exhibition are seven paintings by Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898), who lived in a remarkable studio-home called The Grange in North End Road, Fulham.
It's this local connection which resulted in 52 artworks of French's collection being donated to H&F Council – some rarely seen before.
Highlights include The Wheel of Fortune (1875), one of Burne-Jones's best-known compositions. At least seven versions of the same subject exist, the last of which was a large-scale oil painting currently at the Musée D'Orsay, Paris.
The version in the exhibition was produced around the same time Burne-Jones began working on the 1883 oil painting.
The exhibition also features works from the collection of Fulham resident Scott Thomas Buckle who – like Cecil French – began acquiring Victorian art against the grain of fashionable taste.
"I first saw artworks from the Cecil French Bequest in the 1980s and this had a major impact at a time when I first began collecting and researching drawings," Scott said.
"Forty years on, I am hoping that the exhibition of works from both collections may inspire future collectors of Victorian art."
Read our full interview with Scott Thomas Buckle here.
Who was Cecil French?
Cecil French (1879-1953) was an artist, poet, and collector. He trained as a painter, attending first the Royal Academy schools, then artist Hubert von Herkomer's school in Bushey.
After completing his studies, he exhibited a small number of pictures and published two books of poetry, but it was as a collector that he appears to have found his real vocation.
Born in Dublin in 1879, French lived through a period of huge change, witnessing for himself the rapid decline in the popularity of Victorian art.
When he died in 1953, French bequeathed his collection of 153 paintings and drawings to the public. Hammersmith & Fulham Council received the 52 works, which include 25 by Edward Burne-Jones.
VIDEO: Six things about Victorian Treasures you didn't know with Hannah Lund
The Victorian Treasures from the Cecil French Bequest exhibition runs until 21 September at Leighton House. For times, tickets and more details, visit: Victorian Treasures from the Cecil French Bequest.
