Luke Fildes Blue plaque

“Sir Luke Fildes 1844-1927 Artist lived here 1878-1927” These words etched onto this blue plaque tell a story. A story of Woodland House at 31 Melbury Road. This isn’t just any house. This is where Sir Luke Fildes a renowned Victorian artist lived for nearly fifty years. From 1878 until his death in 1927. He wasn’t just a resident. He commissioned the house itself. Designed by the celebrated architect Richard Norman Shaw. It’s a Queen Anne style masterpiece. Think red brick elegant lines. It was a statement. A symbol of Fildes’s arrival among London’s artistic elite. He even considered his house superior to that of his artistic rival Marcus Stone. Both men had Shaw design homes on Melbury Road. The houses weren’t just homes. They were studios too. Fildes’s studio was impressive. It boasted a skylight and tall windows. Even King Edward VII described it as one of the finest rooms in London. He came here to sit for a portrait. Imagine the atmosphere. The brushes the paints the grandeur. After Fildes’s death the house had other famous residents. Film director Michael Winner lived here. He restored the house to its former glory. Then Robbie Williams bought it. He too did some renovations. The house has changed hands. But the blue plaque remains. A testament to Sir Luke Fildes and his legacy. A legacy of art and artistry. A legacy that this modest blue plaque beautifully keeps alive.