Battersea Rise House

Watercolour by Daniel Lysons depicting the interior of Battersea Rise House. Late 18th Century- Early 19th Century.

This painting offers a glimpse into the refined domestic life of Battersea Rise House, a Georgian residence built circa 1770. The room depicted is richly adorned with high ceilings, patterned wallpaper, and tall wooden bookshelves filled with books and classical busts, reflecting the intellectual and cultural pursuits of its inhabitants. A round table, draped in a brown cloth and set with flowers and candlesticks, stands in the centre of the room, surrounded by striped upholstered chairs and sofas. A fireplace with an ornate mantel and a portrait above an harp near the back wall and other pieces of furniture fill the scene.

Historically, Battersea Rise House was home to Henry Thornton, a prominent banker and philanthropist, who purchased the estate in 1792. His cousin and close friend William Wilberforce, the famed abolitionist, also lived here until Thornton’s marriage. Together, they were leading figures in the Clapham Sect, a group of evangelical reformers dedicated to social justice and the abolition of the slave trade. The house’s purpose-built library served as the main meeting place for the sect, making it a hub of progressive thought and activism in late 18th-century Britain.

Though the house was demolished in 1907, its legacy endures through its association with one of the most influential social movements of its time. This painting not only captures the elegance of its interiors but also evokes the spirit of reform and intellectual engagement that once animated its rooms.