Watts Gallery in Compton was first opened to the public on 1 April 1904. Its aim was to be a gallery devoted to the art of G. F. Watts, a permanent exhibition of his art for whoever wished to see it, enshrining the vision of art for all. The collection consists of paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture that were owned by Watts, all works allocated by him for the nation.
Watts Gallery is unique in being the only purpose-built art gallery to show a single professional artist’s collection. It is an early example of an Arts & Crafts building and one of the first to be built in solid concrete. It is listed Grade II* and was built not only as a Gallery but also to serve as a hostel for apprentice potters working at the pottery founded by Mary Seton Watts. The nearby cemetery chapel is an extraordinary, art nouveau, Grade I listed building, designed by Mary Seton Watts, which together with the pottery buildings and the Gallery, create for visitors an unparalleled insight into the late Victorian era and an exceptionally strong sense of place. A range of ceramics produced by Compton Pottery is displayed including garden pots made for Liberty’s as well as an altar piece designed by Mary Seton Watts for a nearby chapel.
In his own lifetime George Frederic Watts (1817-1904), was widely considered to be the greatest painter of the Victorian age, enjoying an unparalleled reputation. His ceaseless experimentation embodied the most pressing themes and ideas of the time. A complex figure, Watts was the finest and most penetrating portraitist of his age, a sculptor, landscape painter and symbolist which earned him the title ‘England’s Michelangelo.’
.
