A Grade II-listed, two-story house in West London that’s been owned for the last 116 years by the family of Lucien Pissarro, a renowned artist and engraver, has come onto the market for £2.95 million (US$3.95 million).
Dating to 1760, the house was one of four country homes that overlooked Stamford Brook, a tributary of the River Thames. The French-born Pissarro bought the five-bedroom house in 1902 to be close to his daughter. There, he took up painting again for the first time since moving to England permanently in 1890, according to Finlay Brewer, the brokerage that’s handling the sale of the house, dubbed "The Brook."
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The 2,800-square-foot home, which was listed at the end of April, remains largely untouched from Pissarro’s time, retaining its original fireplaces and wood beams throughout, as well as a 7,000-square-foot garden, complete with a separate artist’s studio.
"You would expect to find a home of this style in the middle of the countryside, rather than in West London. For The Brook to have retained its original look and feel makes it a real gem," Teresa Brewer, partner at Finlay Brewer, said in a statement.
It was while Pissarro lived in the home that he created "The Brook, Sunny Weather," one of his most important works.
Lucien Pissarro at "The Brook"
Courtesy of Finlay BrewerThe son of notable French impressionist painter Camille Pissarro, Lucien Pissarro worked in Paris with contemporaries such as Paul Signac and Vincent Van Gogh, with whom he became close friends. Van Gogh dedicated his 1887 painting, "Basket of Apples," to Pissarro.
Pissarro emigrated to London in 1890 to study the work of William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement, while lecturing at the Art Workers Guild. He suffered a stroke in 1897, which rendered him unable to paint until he moved to "The Brook" and picked up his brush again.
Pissarro’s career peaked in the 1920s and ’30s, with his works being exhibited continuously at the Royal Academy from 1934 until his death in 1944.
Pissarro was also an accomplished engraver and publisher. He founded the Eragny Press in 1894 and went on to create a signature typeface in 1903, known as "Brook Type." named after the home.
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The home has stayed in his family after his death. In 1976, it was commemorated with a blue plaque to mark Pissarro’s life and work.
Pissarro’s descendent, who currently owns the house, couldn’t be reached for comment.
"This home is perfect for those that err away from the modern look and style and want to obtain the almost impossible dream of traditional English country house in the heart of the city," Mr. Brewer said. "When sitting in the garden you wouldn’t know you’re so close to the center of London," he said in a statement.