Don’t Miss Out: ‘Heiress’ at Kenwood House Closes Soon
- lisahylton2
- Sep 2
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 4
Last chance for a late summer sensation!
As leaves turn from summer green to warm autumn brown and evenings start to close in, a golden gem is getting ready to go dark: the exhibition Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits must close on 5 October 2025.
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Exhibition
If you’ve not yet visited yourself or sent your guests and culture-loving visitors to Kenwood House for this must-see event, now is the moment — once it’s gone, it’s gone!
Since opening in May, ‘Heiress’ has become the talk of the town and beyond! Portraits have been loaned from leading national and private collections around the world, and visitors have also been flocking from across the globe - a notable contingent from the United States.
Dazzling Portraits
Appreciative comments are lighting up Kenwood's Vistors’ Book. The reason? This captivating display of oil paintings and charcoal portraits - some not seen before in public– features American-born women who married into the British aristocracy during the ‘Gilded Age’. Some were super-wealthy heiresses, each has their fascinating life story. The artist John Singer Sargent was a transatlantic sensation himself, born in Europe into an American family. In a not-uncoincidental twist befitting Sargent’s legendary dramatic flair, this year marks the centenary of his passing.
What better way to honour this very popular artist’s legacy than to experience these amazing women’s dazzling portraits up close at Kenwood House?
From left: Mrs Wilton Phipps 1884, private lender (US); Margaret Howard, (née ‘Daisy’ Leiter) 1898, English Heritage, Kenwood House; Mary Crowninshield Endicott Chamberlain (Mrs Joseph Chamberlain), National Gallery of Art, Washington. Photos credit: English Heritage
A Memorable Experience
For Concierges, tour operators and travel advisers, this is a golden opportunity. Whether you’re crafting the perfect London itinerary or seeking out that memorable experience for your guests, don’t miss out on Sargent’s world of glamour or the remarkable personal stories of women who made such an impact on their adopted country – in politics, the arts, public life, philanthropy, business, war service and many other fields. Each was clearly so much more than the reductive label of ‘a dollar princess’.
Bookings
Tickets are available for timed entry, either at the door or directly via the Kenwood page on the English Heritage website. No need for anyone to queue or risk missing out.
More to Discover at Kenwood
But wait, there’s more! From 1 September to 11 January 2026, there is an extraordinary new display ‘Double Vision: Vermeer at Kenwood’. This free-to-visit exhibition pairs Kenwood’s own signed painting, ‘The Guitar Player’ with Philadelphia Museum of Art’s almost identical (but unsigned) doppelgänger. Could both works be from the hand of the Dutch master himself? Experts are employing cutting-edge research techniques to unravel this mystery. With only 37 surviving works reliably attributed to Johannes Vermeer, a breakthrough would be truly historic.
And let’s not forget, the main art and decorative collections at Kenwood House, as well as its sweeping parkland adjoining the woods and walks of Hampstead Heath, remain free to visit year-round. Enjoy at leisure stunning paintings by Rembrandt, Hals, Cuyp, Reynolds, Gainsborough, Turner, Kauffman, Romney and other celebrated artists.
Here’s to art, discovery, and making memories in Hampstead! Whether your guests are art aficionados or simply seeking a peaceful stroll and a nice bite to eat, there’s something for everyone at Kenwood House in north London.
So, dust off your notepads and tip your hats to Hampstead’s cultural treasures. ‘Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits’ is about to take its final bow, and the Vermeer mystery awaits.
For tickets and further details, visit the Kenwood page at English Heritage online.
