The life, letters and work of Frederic Leighton. Volume IIBarrington, Russell, Mrs.
General
The life, letters and work of Frederic Leighton. Volume II
Barrington, Russell, Mrs.
Leighton of Stretton, Frederic Leighton, Baron, 1830-1896
The study for the group of sleeping figures reproduced here is almost
identical in design with the sketch in plaster from the clay, so
lamentably destroyed when Watts lent it to be cast in bronze
after Leighton's death. Leighton also gave the drawing of this group
to his fellow artist, so enthusiastically did Watts admire it. He, in
his turn, gave it to the Leighton House Collection in the year 1897,
together with the fine painting which Leighton exchanged for his own
portrait, painted about 1863, and which greeted friends as they
mounted the staircase in Leighton House during all the years he lived
in Holland Park Road (see frontispiece to Vol. I.). The study for
"Cymon and Iphigenia" is particularly valuable now as an example of
Leighton's rapid sketches where every touch reflects a mine of
knowledge, because it was put under glass before any of the crispness
of the touch was blurred by rubbing.[71]
[Illustration: "THE SLUGGARD"
From the Bronze Statuette--a direct reproduction from Lord
Leighton's small sketch, 1886. Leighton House Collection]
[Illustration: "NEEDLESS ALARMS"
From Bronze Statuette, 1886. Leighton House Collection]
[Illustration: "THE LAST WATCH OF HERO." 1887]
[Illustration: STUDY IN COLOUR FOR "TRAGIC POETESS." 1890
By permission of Mrs. Stewart Hodgson]
In a letter dated 1886 Watts wrote: "Leighton will carry off all the
honours this year with his ceiling[72] and his two statues."
"An Athlete Awakening from Sleep" (given to the Tate Gallery by Sir
Henry Tate) is generally known as "The Sluggard," a name bestowed on
it by Leighton himself. The victor's garland lies at the feet of the
athlete, a garland which does not preserve the owner from a sad
weariness. Mr. Brock, R.A., in whose studio "An Athlete" was
modelled, executed the fine bust of Leighton which was deposited in
the Academy as Mr. Brock's diploma work.[73]
Sir John Millais admired greatly the other work alluded to in Watts'
letter, "Needless Alarms." Leighton gave him this statuette, and
Millais, desiring to show his gratitude in a tangible form, painted
the picture "Shelling Peas" for Leighton.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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