Author Description

Mary Watts (1849-1938), Symbolist craftswoman, socialist and pioneer of Liberty's Celtic style, created one of the most remarkable Art Nouveau buildings in Britain: the Watts Chapel in Compton, Surrey. This book accompanies the first exhibition of her work, which celebrates the centenary of the building of the Chapel.Mary Watts was the second wife of Symbolist painter G.F. Watts, and theirs was a productive artistic partnership. On her marriage to Watts, Mary abandoned portrait-painting and began to design symbolic bas-relief decoration for their homes. The intricate exterior of the Chapel aroused such interest that before starting work on the interior she established a professional Arts and Crafts community at Compton and Aldourie, her Highland home, taking on apprentices to produce Celtic-style terracotta sundials and memorials. The Compton Potters' Arts Guild went on to make terracotta garden ornaments for clients such as Gertrude Jekyll, and architectural enrichments for Edwin Lutyens, Clough Williams Ellis and Goodhard Rendel.This fascinating book documents the life and work of Mary Watts and places her designs in the wider context of the Arts and Crafts Movement.