Frederic Leighton died in 1896 and his entire collection was sold at an auction by Christie’s, leaving the house as a virtual empty shell. It fell to Leighton’s near neighbour, Emilie Barrington and the Leighton House Committee, newly formed in 1897, to re-assemble a representative body of some of Leighton’s artworks as well as art pieces that he collected. These remain the core of the collections today and work is ongoing to retrieve items from his original collection.
Art Unlocked is an online talk series by Art UK in collaboration with Bloomberg Philanthropies. This Curation is based on a talk by Hannah Lund, Assistant Curator at Leighton House, on 18th January 2023. You can watch a recording of the talk on Art UK's YouTube channel.
Frederic Leighton (1830–1896)
Oil on canvas
H 28 x W 63 cm
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Culture Service, Leighton House Museum
Orpheus and Eurydice 1864
Frederic Leighton (1830–1896)
Oil on canvas
H 168.3 x W 151 cm
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Culture Service, Leighton House Museum
La nanna, Pavonia 1859
Frederic Leighton (1830–1896)
Oil on canvas
H 91.3 x W 82 cm
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Culture Service, Leighton House Museum
A Street in Damascus c.1873
Frederic Leighton (1830–1896)
Oil on canvas
H 38 x W 37 cm
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Culture Service, Leighton House Museum
Alexandra Orr, née Leighton (1828–1903) 1890
Frederic Leighton (1830–1896)
Oil on canvas
H 88 x W 75.5 cm
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Culture Service, Leighton House Museum
Clytie 1895
Frederic Leighton (1830–1896)
Oil on canvas
H 156 x W 136 cm
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Culture Service, Leighton House Museum