After the refurbishment of the clubhouse at The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) in 2002, it became evident that the Club had relatively few paintings or art that displayed its rich history other than those exhibited in the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum. Since then, several major pieces of bespoke art have been commissioned and are displayed throughout the grounds.

Five Lady Champions Busts – Ann Haydon Jones (b.1938)

Most notably, outside of Centre Court, near the clubhouse entrance are five bronze busts, nestled amongst the ivy. These statues, by sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley, were created to celebrate the Ladies' Singles British champions, who include Kitty Godfree (1924 and 1926), Dorothy Round (1934), Angela Mortimer (1961), Ann Jones (1969), and Virginia Wade (1977). Several of these surviving champions were in attendance when Rank-Broadley unveiled the sculptures in April 2004.

Five Lady Champions Busts – Virginia Wade (b.1945)

Looking in close detail at the portrait bust of the current member of the AELTC, Angela Mortimer, reveals the high level of detail Rank-Broadley included in his work.

Five Lady Champions Busts – Angela Mortimer (b.1932)

In 2006, the AELTC wanted to create a collection of artworks that were specific to The Championships, reflecting the various scenes and events occurring over the fortnight. To do so, the Club appointed a 'Championships Artist' to illustrate the tournament from their unique perspective. Since then, several major pieces of art have been created by a diverse range of artists, 15 in total, including Luis Morris (2007), Mick Davies (2008), William Pye (2016) and Jeremy Houghton (2017).

Luis Morris was the Championships Artist in 2007, the same year construction began on the Centre Court roof. He worked hard to capture the existing structure before the building morphed into its new shape (as seen in the painting below). Due to the success of his first piece, Luis was commissioned once more to record the construction of the No. 1 Court roof before its completion in 2019.

Tandem Lift for the First Two of Ten Trusses for Centre Court's Retractable Roof

In the above images, Morris illustrates the different stages of construction on Centre Court's roof. His earlier work, painted before the construction began, shows a viewpoint from the view of a spectator seated at the very back on Centre Court, only able to see a small glimpse of the sky. In his later work, he illustrates a roof truss being lifted into place by cranes, which happened in early 2009.

Mick Davies RBA was the Championships Artist in 2008. His work, largely hand-coloured etchings, concentrated on tournament spectators, both contemporary and historical. Several of his etchings depicted the former grounds of the Club at Worple Road in Wimbledon, particularly illustrating the origins of the tea lawn where spectators first enjoyed food and drink between matches.

In this etching, Davies illustrates the rose arbour, located between No. 1 Court and the Broadcast Centre, with spectators seen enjoying strawberries and champagne in between play. Davies captures this lesser-known corner of the grounds where fans often relax under the shaded structure and recharge for afternoon play. He shows his viewers a place of rest and serenity compared to the euphoric atmosphere on the Hill.

Hoping It Will Pass. Lunchtime, Henman Hill

In his other work, Davies shows the view of Centre Court from the top of the hill. The term 'Henman Hill' derives from the former British top-ten player Tim Henman, who competed at Wimbledon in the late 1990s and early 2000s. During his career, British tennis supporters packed onto the Hill behind No. 1 Court to watch and cheer Henman on as he appeared on the big screen time and time again, therefore giving this popular gathering place its nickname.

William Pye, an internationally renowned sculptor who specialises in abstract water sculptures, was commissioned by the AELTC to create a piece of art for the Wimbledon Grounds that celebrated tennis in an English garden setting. He named the sculpture Alchemilla after a plant that holds water within its leaves and is seen within Wimbledon's many garden areas.

The sculpture is positioned near St Mary's Walk on the north end of the Broadcast Centre, adjacent to Court 18. It was unveiled by HRH The Duke of Kent on the first day of The Championships, 2016.

Before becoming the 2017 Championships Artist, Jeremy Houghton was the official artist for the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games. His work at Wimbledon concentrated largely on match play, particularly capturing the movement and agility of the players over the fortnight.

In this painting, Houghton illustrates the masses of spectators packed onto the Hill in 2017, shoulder to shoulder, intensely watching play on the Centre Court big screen. That year, the grounds were at their maximum capacity with a record-breaking 39,000 visitors in attendance each day. Since 2019, daily ground capacity has increased to allow an additional 3,000 guests on site, many of whom head to the Hill for its lively atmosphere.

Using watercolour, Houghton explores space and light, which gives his paintings a historical quality, much like an old photograph. In this work, he illustrates the electric atmosphere felt on Centre Court in 2017. Spectators saw two thrilling matches – first Garbiñe Muguruza claiming the Ladies' Singles title against Venus Williams, followed by Roger Federer's win over Marin Cilic. Houghton's work has a timeless quality, capturing the excitement of Finals weekend at The Championships.

More of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum collection can be explored on Art UK.

Dr Anna Boonstra, Assistant Curator at Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum