When the events team were invited to a preview of the Leighton and Landscape: Impressions from Nature exhibition we were very excited to accept. Those who had previously visited Leighton House knew it was something special, for those of us who hadn’t it didn’t take us long to see the attraction and ask ‘how can we get our members here?’

Thankfully the Leighton House team were eager to share the exhibition with us and invited a small group of members to visit, with the special bonus of a tour from museum curator Hannah Lund. Hannah lead us through Leighton’s house, encouraging us to pause for a moment to experience the impressive Moorish room, before taking us into the gallery which housed his sketches.

Hannah explained the history the team had uncovered, explaining that little was known of the exact dates Leighton had created each piece as he wasn’t a keen diarist.

We explored the landscapes which Leighton had painted and retained almost exclusively for his personal enjoyment. We mused on the reasons for this; were they postcards, memories, practice of techniques, work he didn’t feel confident would sell? There were no answers, but interesting theories and discussions.

As keen hispanists we particularly cherished our time with the pieces created during Leighton’s time exploring Spain, admiring scenes that felt familiar. ‘Bay of Cádiz, moonlight’, was expectedly mesmerising. Hannah had told us that is was likely Leighton had chosen to paint many of the landscapes we had viewed simply because of his interest in the light and colour of the natural environment, this focus is certainly evident in this particular landscape.

If you haven’t yet had time to explore the exhibition you still have time to explore the collection at leisure. It is open until 27 April and is the perfect opportunity to see many previously unseen items of the the collection together whilst also enjoying a glimpse of Spain.

www.rbkc.gov.uk/museums

Alternatively, our friends at Leighton House, in partnership with Instituto Cervantes are holding Roundtable: Spain through the Eyes of British Travellers on Wednesday 9 April 7-9pm at Leighton House. Join a panel of experts, from the art historians, academics and authors, exploring how British artists, writers and travellers have imagined and portrayed Spain in both textual and visual representations over the last two centuries. With a chance to see Leighton House’s current exhibition, Leighton and Landscape: Impressions from Nature, documenting the artist’s life-long passion for travel. Further details and booking can be found via this link