WHISTLER'S CHELSEA

ORPEN’S STUDIO, SOUTH BOLTON GARDENS

Nos. 8–9 South Bolton Gardens were built in 1904–6 to the designs of Walter Cave as two studio houses. No 8 was occupied by Orpen from 1906 and No 9 was used by the portrait artist J J Shannon in the 1910s. The two north lit studios formerly with leaded light windows can be seen in the two photoraphs above. In Orpen’s painting Homage to Manet (1909, Tate) Orpen’s friends are sitting at a table beneath Manet’s painting of Eva Gonzales. The painting of Eva Gonzales was hung on the east wall of the studio and was owned by Hugh Lane, Orpen’s cousin, art dealer and collector, who lived on the ground floor. In the 1928 Orpen bought No 9 and in 1929 the house was remodelled by J. E. Forbes and J. Duncan Tate. The two studios were joined together as can be seen in the photograph above illustrated in a Country Life article by Christopher Hussey in September 1930. Orpen lived there until his death in 1931. Since then the house was divided again. In more recent times the house has been the studio of the artist Ken Howard (above right) since 1974, who went on to buy No 8 in 1990 and No. 9 in 1996. The house has yet again had the dividing wall removed between the two studios, and also has one of Orpen’s chairs and a mirror .

8 South Bolton Gardens

William Orpen, The Studio

8 South Bolton Gardens, London

8 South Bolton Gardens, London