Frederic Leighton

Oil painting of sleeping woman in orange dress curled up on bench
Leighton’s Flaming June
to

At the end of his career, the British artist Frederic Leighton painted the now-iconic image of a sleeping woman in a vivid orange gown. This nineteenth-century masterpiece embodies the modern philosophy of “art for art’s sake,” the belief that the value of art lies in its aesthetic qualities rather than in its subject matter. The sensuously draped figure — freed from any narrative context — is integrated into a harmonious ensemble of rhythmic lines and radiant color.

Comprehensive Collection of Landscape Oil Sketches on View for the First Time in the United States: A Brush with Nature: The Gere Collection of Landscape Oil Sketches
Link to introductory video for the exhibition 'Leighton's Flaming June'
Leighton's Flaming June

Susan Grace Galassi, Senior Curator at The Frick Collection, introduces the exhibition Leighton's Flaming June, on view in the Oval Room from June 9 through September 6, 2015. 

Link to video of Daniel Robbins lecture
Daniel Robbins: "Frederic Leighton and his 'Private Palace of Art'"

Frederic Leighton was at the heart of the burgeoning art world of late Victorian London. President of the Royal Academy from 1878 to 1896, he was instrumental in raising the status of art and artists, making a unique contribution to the cultural life of his time. This lecture explores aspects of his career and the part played by his extraordinary studio-house in establishing his reputation.