‘I have followed, worked and loved’ – Penelope Hines explores the work of Mary Seton Watts

Perhaps best known for the extraordinary funerary chapel at Compton, Surrey, consecrated in 1898, Mary Seton Watts (née Fraser Tytler, 1849-1938) was an artist, maker, designer, biographer, and founder. Married to the painter George Frederic Watts OMRA (1817-1904) she ensured the survival of their eponymous gallery. Significant recent scholarship has made huge strides in understanding the range of her practices and legacy. This talk by Penelope Hines explores Mary’s work, which spanned the 19^th and 20^th centuries, and the impact of the end of the Victorian period, the Arts & Crafts movement, and the rise of Art Nouveau.

Penelope Hines is Collections Curator at Watts Gallery, Surrey. She was previously Curator for properties in Surrey, West Sussex and London for the National Trust, and has held curatorial roles as specialist in design material and decorative arts at the V&A and National Museum Wales.