The Real Aesthetic House

The weather continues to be summer-like in London, so off I went to the Leighton House, following up on "The Cult of Beauty" exhibition at V&A...and what a hidden treasure this house is! The interior is so otherworldly, I almost felt as if I time-traveled as I stepped into the house.

At the hallway, I was greeted by a stuffed peacock, the symbol of aesthetic movement, and deep, deep blue tiles, with floor covered with Roman mosaics guiding me through to the famous Arabic Room. This Room, completed with a fountain, is covered with tiles and glasses topped with golden domed ceiling. The room could have been a disaster with visual overload, as every inch is covered by colors and shapes, but somehow it retains a tranquility of exquisite sanctuary, centered by a fountain trickling soothing water.

The entire house was carefully and meticulously decorated, save for Leighton's bedroom, including absolutely stunning studio with huge windows and beautifully appointed garden. Still, the real wow-factor of the house is the entrance and the Arabic Room.

What really astounded me was the attention to details for every single item in this house. Everything, from staircase to fireplace, is carefully planned and decorated with the engineering ingenuity. The fireplace in the reception room represents this excessive attention to details; it is placed under the window with side-way chimney (and no sign of chimney inside), so the garden view from the window will not be obstructed...considering how most of the Georgian/Victorian/Edwardian houses are built with the fireplaces as centerpiece with huge chimneys protruding the walls, the placement of this fireplace represents the 'idea outside the box' and careful planning prior to the construction of the building.

The house also showcases the extent of power British Empire once held. The accessibility and influx of art and decorative ideas of the Middle East are prevalent, with many pieces delivered or modeled after the region, from plates to tiles to window coverings to wallpapers.

Leighton, as a painter, may not have been as well-known as some of his contemporaries, but this house is truly his masterpiece. His wealth (mostly from his family) and standing in the art world (as the head of Royal Academy) must have been quite extraordinary. According to his biography he had no family and there was a rumor of him being a homosexual or having a passionate affair with lower-class woman with illegitimate children, but none are confirmed. I cannot guess, nor do I care about his sexuality, but I found a small pencil drawing of a young woman in the Silk Room quite intriguing...it was drawn in such care and...love? The untitled drawing made me wonder if she was someone close to his heart or the idealized version of the woman he sought after. A romantic notion for an incredibly romantic house.