In September, Leighton House Museum, presents a temporary exhibition to celebrate the craft of drawing and painting. It features the work of a community of artists who trained at the first atelier founded in the UK, Lavender Hill Studios.

The exhibition, on display in the Upper Perrin Gallery of Leighton’s ‘private palace of art’, brings together a broad body of work from delicate sketches and studies to life-size oil portraits; full colour landscapes and exquisite nudes. The collection showcases the work of established and aspiring artists all of whom have worked within the age-old atelier tradition, including Phoebe Dickinson, Rosalie Watkins and Henry Yan.

This new generation of figurative artists, whilst preserving 19th century techniques, manage to bring individuality to their work and adapt the traditional methods to a variety of styles, mediums and themes. For the first time the public will gain a thorough understanding of the artist’s process, thanks to the detailed, step-by step explanations and accompanying paintings.

Ann Witheridge, artist and co-founder of Lavender Hill Studios says: ‘We are really excited to be able to bring a strong didactic exhibition to the public. It re-establishes the importance of the classical techniques in producing figurative art of high quality, which is as relevant today as it always [Lavender Hill Studios] has been. I believe that visitors to the exhibition will leave with a deep appreciation for the commitment, determination and discipline of the artist and their methodologies’.

The exhibition, which runs from 1 September - 4 October 2015, is complemented by an extensive programme of events, ranging from workshops, life-drawing sessions and lectures providing the visitors with an opportunity to learn about the methods used by a long line of Masters including Lord Leighton and his contemporaries.

Visit the website for more details.