Page 14 - G19C Opening Catalogue

Frederic, Lord Leighton

STUDY FOR FLAMING JUNE, 1894

In this exquisite oil sketch, Frederic, Lord Leighton envisioned the
palette for what would become his most well-known and beloved
painting, Flaming June. Similar in size to preparatory oil sketches in
general, the small scale of the surface allowed the artist to quickly
determine—almost like a snapshot—how the colors would appear in
the final painting. The oil sketch “stage” was always a crucial step in
the creative process for an Academically trained artist like Leighton.
While only a four by four inch square canvas, the sketch for Flaming
June already forecasts the evocative qualities of the final painting.
In it we see the vibrant, sun-drenched orange dress of the sleeping
model set against burgundy drapery, colorful dabs of paint at the
upper right that will eventually become a bouquet of exotic flowers
in the final work, and a long brushstroke of shiny white paint on the
horizon, so convincing as the glistening sun on the sea and how it
evokes the heat of a summer day. While numerous preparatory black
and white drawings exist for Flaming June, our painting is the only
known oil sketch. It is a rare jewel.

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