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
In at least fourteen of the eighty pictures shown at the Academy
during the last seventeen years of Leighton's life, there can be
traced an earnest sentiment beyond the "sincerity of emotion" for
beauty which all evince. This feeling is, however, always guarded by a
marked reticence from sentimentalism. "Elijah in the Wilderness,"
"Elisha Raising the Son of the Shunammite," "The Jealousy of Simoetha,
the Sorceress," "The Last Watch of Hero," "Captive Andromache,"
"Return of Persephone," "Rizpah," "Tragic Poetess," "Sibyl,"
"Farewell," "The Spirit of the Summit," "Fatidica," "Lachrymæ," and
the last passionate figure of "Clytie." The most popular pictures
Leighton painted during these years appear to be "Sister's Kiss," "The
Light of the Harem" (developed into a picture from the design of a
group in the fresco, "The Industrial Arts of Peace"), "Idyll,"
"Whispers," "Wedded" (now in Australia), "Memories," "Letty,"
"Invocation," "Solitude," "The Bath of Psyche," "Bacchante," "Corinna
of Tanagra," "The Bracelet," "Summer Slumber," "Atalanta," "Flaming
June," and "The Fair Persian" (unfinished). Two sketches in the
Leighton House Collection record effects which greatly fascinated
Leighton in Scotland--"A Pool, Findhorn River," deep tortoiseshell
brown; and "Rocks in the Findhorn," pink and grey enriched by lichen,
and it was in Scotland that the Lynn of Dee inspired the
subject of "Solitude." Leighton described to me the deep impression
this Lynn of Dee had made on him. "It is the veriest note of solitude!
a wonderful spot, full of poetic inspiration." In order to transmit a
vivid record of this sentiment to his canvas, he took a second journey
to the place.[74]
[Illustration: "ATALANTA." 1893
By permission of the Berlin Photographic Co., the owners of the
Copyright]
[Illustration: "FLAMING JUNE." 1895
By permission of Mrs. Watney]
[Illustration: STUDY FOR "FLAMING JUNE." 1895]
[Illustration: "FATIDICA." 1894
By permission of Messrs. T. Agnew & Son, the owners of the
Copyright]
[Illustration: STUDIES FOR "FATIDICA." 1894
Leighton House Collection]
Leighton wrote the following letter to his father when first visiting
Forres, in which he described the "craze" he had for these "dark brown
Scotch rivers":--
ROYAL STATION HOTEL,
FORRES, N.B.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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