In the mid 19th century, establishment artists moved further from central London to the new leafy suburbs of Holland Park and Kensington. They purchased spacious plots and commissioned exotic studio-houses by celebrity architects. They opened these to the public on 'Show Sundays'. Such publicity and success placed these artists among high society. Artists who rejected such social climbing moved to Chelsea. Previously a small fishing village, Chelsea's cheap rents, interesting housing and separateness from the city attracted artists who fostered flamboyant, bohemian lifestyles in Chelsea's liberal environment. For more than 60 years artists' communities dominated Chelsea life.

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Whistler

Frederick, Lord Leighton

William Morris