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Painter's Honeymoon
Frederic, Lord Leighton (English, 1830–1896)
about 1864
Medium/Technique
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
83.8 x 76.8 cm (33 x 30 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Charles H. Bayley Picture and Painting Fund
Accession Number1981.258
CollectionsEurope
ClassificationsPaintings
In this romantic image, love is equated with art. In its evocation of the past and its precise, controlled style, the painting epitomizes the officially sanctioned academic practice of the late 19th century. Leighton, elected president of the Royal Academy in London in 1879, spent many years studying in Germany, France, and Italy. The composition and glowing color of "Painter’s Honeymoon" reflect the influence of 16th‑century Venetian painters, such as Giorgione and Titian.
Provenance1864, sold by the artist to Moreby (dealer), Cornhill [see note 1]. John Smith (b. 1810 - d. 1869), Mickleham Hall, Surrey; May 4, 1870, posthumous John Smith sale, Christie's, London, lot 70, bought in and subsequently sold to Thos. Agnew and Sons, London (stock no. 6211) [see note 2]. By 1878, John Lawson Kennedy (d. 1895), Ardwick Hall, Manchester [see note 3]; until 1981, by descent within the family; June 5, 1981, anonymous ("property of a nobleman") sale, Christie's, London, lot 48, to Richard Green, London for the MFA. (Accession Date: June 10, 1981)
NOTES:
[1] In 1864, Leighton wrote to his father that "The Honeymoon" had been bought by Moreby, a Cornhill dealer. Mrs. Russell Barrington, The Life, Letters, and Work of Frederic Leighton (New York, 1906), vol. 2, p. 114. The painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1866. [2] Received by Agnew on December 31, 1870 from "Smith." Agnew stock books, National Gallery, London, NGA 27/1/13 (1865-1871). [3] Lent to the “Exhibition of Art Treasures,” Royal Manchester Institution, 1878, cat. no. 20.
NOTES:
[1] In 1864, Leighton wrote to his father that "The Honeymoon" had been bought by Moreby, a Cornhill dealer. Mrs. Russell Barrington, The Life, Letters, and Work of Frederic Leighton (New York, 1906), vol. 2, p. 114. The painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1866. [2] Received by Agnew on December 31, 1870 from "Smith." Agnew stock books, National Gallery, London, NGA 27/1/13 (1865-1871). [3] Lent to the “Exhibition of Art Treasures,” Royal Manchester Institution, 1878, cat. no. 20.