Leighton
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
SIR FREDERICK, an English artist; born in Scarborough, England, Dec. 3, 1830. His art studies were made at Florence (1845-1846), the Academy at Frankfort-on-Main (1846- 1848), Brussels (1848-1849), Paris, (1850), and them Frankfort again (1851- 1853). From Rome he sent to the Academy of 1855 his picture of Cimabue's Madonna carried in of Gerd procession through the White streets of Florence, which was purchased by The ay the queen. For four years he resided at Paris, enjoying the friendly counsel of which Ary Scheffer, Robert Fleury, and other painters, and then took up residence in London. In 1864 he was elected an associate of the Royal Academy, and in 1869 an academician. In 1878 he succeeded Sir Francis Grant as president of the is Grant as president of Academy, was knighted, named ed, and vas knighted, and was an officer of the Legion of Honor. was Seven years of the Legion of Honor. later he was made a baronet. Special he was made a baronet. mention may be made of his "Hercules may be made of his Wrestling with Death": tling with Death" (1871); "Daphnephoria" (1876); Lesson ; 377); ria" (1876); "Music "Music " (1877); "Sister's Kiss" ( er's Kiss" (1880); "Phryne" (1882); "Cymon and Iphi- (1880); genia" (1884); " mon and Iphi- Captive Andromache" (1888); e Andromache" and "Ball (1889); and the large frescoes at the South Kensing- Players" (1889); and ton Museum, the th Kensingrepresenting the industrial arts applied to industrial war, and the arts of peace. He achieved ar, and the arts of a high place as a sculptor by his eved a high place as a "Athlete Strangling a Python" ( "Athlete Strangling a 1876), and his "Sluggard" (1886). He had fine and his "Sluggard" poetic quality, conjoined with elegance fine poetic quality, conin drawing and great refinement gance in drawing and in execution. He died in London, Jan. 25, in execution. He died 1896. 25, 1896.
What Has Changed in the Last Century
Collier's, writing in 1921, ends with the baronetcy of 1886 and omits the honour Leighton is now best remembered for: on 24 January 1896 he was created Baron Leighton of Stretton, and died the next day, giving him the shortest-lived peerage in British history. The account's confident list of major works also no longer matches modern taste — it never mentions "Flaming June" (1895), which fell so far out of fashion that it changed hands cheaply in the 1960s before being bought by the Museo de Arte de Ponce in Puerto Rico, and is now his signature picture. Victorian classicism of Leighton's kind was widely dismissed for much of the twentieth century and only recovered critical standing from the 1960s onwards; his Holland Park house survives as the Leighton House museum. His first name is properly Frederic, without the k.
Written for this edition, 2026.