The exhibition will showcase lost treasures as life-sized paper sculptures as part of the museum’s 100th anniversary programme.
It has been announced that the The lost collection of Victorian artist and former Royal Academy president Frederic, Lord Leighton (1830-1896) will be brought vividly to life in a new art commission by celebrated paper artist Annemarieke Kloosterhof.
On display from the 11th October, at Leighton House, Leighton’s former home and studio, as part of the museum’s 100th anniversary programme, Ghost Objects: Summoning Leighton’s Lost Collection will recreate four missing objects from the artist’s original collection as life-size paper sculptures.
Over the last 25 years, Leighton House’s curatorial team has undertaken
extensive research to locate missing pieces and return them to the house as part of a
wider effort to restore the historical integrity of the interiors and collections. While
many objects have been carefully traced and reinstated, others remain missing. The
four objects selected for Kloosterhof’s commission reflect the breadth and depth of
Leighton’s collecting interests, spanning classical antiquity, Renaissance craftsmanship
and 19th-century global decorative arts.
Items that are set to be recreated 15th-century carved and gilt Italian tabernacle shrine
attributed to sculptor Domenico di Paris, an ebonised klismos chair and matching stool seen in several of Leighton’s paintings including The Dance, a Northern Italian ebony cabinet and a distinctive brass jardiniere.
Each of the paper sculptures have been created by Annemarieke Kloosterhof who has created installations for the hit TV show Bridgerton and high end brands, including Viktor & Rolf, Hermès, and Bottega Veneta. Talking about the news she said: “The scale and complexity of this exhibition feels like I’m using a combination of all the skills, styles and techniques I’ve learned this past decade, gathered into one giant project. Working on something so deeply rooted in traditional craft with an all-female team has been incredibly rewarding, and a full-circle moment, especially as techniques like these are often considered ‘lesser than’ in the art world.”
Ghost Objects: Summoning Leighton’s Lost Collection opens alongside Leighton
House: A Journey through 100 Years, a free exhibition tracing the transformation of
the house since 1926, when it was taken over by The Royal Borough of Kensington and
Chelsea, including archival material, photographs, and personal memories. As part of
the celebrations, the museum is also inviting the public to contribute with stories and
artefacts for a centenary archive, from childhood visits to weddings and special events.
To find out more visit: https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/museums/100-years-leighton-house