Christopher Thompson's 'Other People's Houses' at Glasshouse Contemporary explores architecture through painting.
At Glasshouse Contemporary in Hackney, Christopher Thompson presents his solo exhibition titled 'Other People's Houses,' showcasing oil paintings and limited editions of structures that embody the traits of their inhabitants. This Walthamstow artist, a graduate of the Royal Academy School from the 1990s, redirected his artistic vision to focus on houses four years ago, following his reinterpretation of Vermeer's 1658 work, 'The Little Street.' A suggestion from his son led to the inclusion of a cat, now featured in all 104 house paintings. Influences on his work include Vermeer, René Magritte, and Algernon Newton. The latest pieces draw from murals by William Morris and Anna Maria Garthwaite, blending classical and contemporary portraits. The exhibition is open until April 19, 2026.
Key facts
- Christopher Thompson's solo show 'Other People's Houses' is at Glasshouse Contemporary in Hackney until April 19, 2026.
- Thompson has painted 104 house pictures, each featuring a black-and-white cat, inspired by his son's suggestion.
- The artist reinterpreted the building from Vermeer's 1658 painting 'The Little Street,' placing it by a canal.
- Influences include Vermeer, René Magritte, and Algernon Newton, whose 1935 work 'Surrey Canal at Camberwell' anticipates Magritte's style.
- Murals on house facades reference designers William Morris and Anna Maria Garthwaite, a Huguenot silk-printer from Fournier Street, Shoreditch.
- Portraits in the murals range from classical figures like Vermeer's 'Girl with a Pear Earring' to contemporary characters, including Thompson's son.
- Thompson studied at the Royal Academy School in the 1990s and is based in Walthamstow.
- The exhibition includes oil paintings and signed limited editions, with works like 'The Archeologist's House' depicting a buried building with a Tyrannosaur skull.
Entities
Artists
- Christopher Thompson
- Vermeer
- René Magritte
- Algernon Newton
- William Morris
- Anna Maria Garthwaite
- Francesco Hayez
- Eadweard Muybridge
- Edward Hopper
Institutions
- Glasshouse Contemporary
- National Gallery
- Royal Academy School
- Tate
- Arts and Crafts movement
Locations
- Hackney
- London
- United Kingdom
- Walthamstow
- Delft
- Netherlands
- Fournier Street
- Shoreditch
- Camberwell
- Surrey