Explaining one of VTMB paintings (part 14)

The Music Lesson, oil on canvas (1877) by Fredric Leighton

Sir Fredric Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton (Dec 3 1830 - Jan 25 1896) was a British Victorian painter, draughtsman and sculptor born in Scarborough, Yorkshire. He was educated at the University Collage School in London. He designed the tomb for the English Poet Elizabeth Barret Browning in English Cemetery,Florence in 1861. He was the first President of the Commitee commissioning the Suervay of London which was in charge of documenting public works of art and architecture. He was knighted at Windsor in 1878 and made Baronet of Hollow Park Road in the Parish of St. Mary Abbots, Kensington in 1886.

A Victorian painter refers to the distinctive art style of painting in the UK during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). Specifically the academic art style coming from mainly the Royal Academy of the Arts with Leighton being one of the most recognized of this style. Focused on Christian, British Royalism and Imperial with an overall optimistic tone and close attention to even the smallest of details. The biggest change was the shift away from the traditional focus on storytelling and moralizing subject matter as the subjects of art. Instead choosing subjects based on aesthetic appeal which contrasted their contemporaries Pre-Raphaelites. [1]

The Architecture depicted in the background of The Music Lesson is based on Leighton study of architecture from his trip to Damascus, Syria in 1873. The black and white stripes of the stone building are a style of Islamic architecture ablaq. In Syria Ablaq is often used to decorate arches of Mosques, palaces and Sufi lodges. The technique of ablaq may have originated from Syria or the Byzantine Empire. One of the first written records on the use of ablaq masonry was found regarding repairs done to the northern wall of the Great Mosque of Damascus in 1109 [2]. The musical instrument that is the center of the lesson is a Baglama (sometime called a saz) which is a type of long necked seven string lute used in both Turkish and Azerbaijani folk music [3]. The choice of architecture and instrument are most likely based on their aesthetic beauty and to give the work a small amount of exotic flare. The two British models depicted in the painting appear in a number of Leighton works. The younger girl is Connie Gilchrist( Jan 23 1865-May 6 1946) who as a child was a rather famous art model, actress and singer that work with a number of other artist including Frank Holl, James McNeil Whistler and author/photogrpher Lewlis Carol (author of Alice in Wonderland). As an adult she married Edmond Walter FitzMaurice, the 7th Earl of Orkney (Orkney is a archipelago in the norther isles of Scotland) making her the Countess of Orkney. [4]

[1]“Frederic Leighton.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Oct. 2023, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederic_Leighton.  [2]“Ablaq.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Oct. 2023, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ablaq#:~:text=Ablaq%20(Arabic%3A%20أبلق%3B%20particolored,architecture%20in%20the%20Arab%20world.  [3]“Bağlama.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Oct. 2023, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ba%C4%9Flama.  [4]“Connie Gilchrist, Countess of Orkney.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 July 2023, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connie_Gilchrist,_Countess_of_Orkney#:~:text=Connie%20Gilchrist%20(23%20January%201865,Lewis%20Carroll%20and%20aristocrats%2C%20Lord. 

For the week of April 21st our assignment was to choose a picture from our textbook and write a ekphrasis on it. For my image I went with the painting displayed on the first page of the textbook. The painting is called Flaming June it was created by Sir Fredric Leighton in 1895. 

Flaming June 

Exhausted the girl laid on her furry brown chair 

Her orange silk dress laying beautifully over her 

Her ginger hair blending into the chair 

all the colors similar to each other flow around her 

The bright sun shining through the horizon 

The small clump of bright flowers lying perfectly on the counter 

Peacefully she laid asleep 

I choose this picture because of how beautifully the colors around the women blended together. The orange was such a beautiful pop of color on the women’s pale skin. The picture also seemed very peaceful to me. Even the beautiful body of water in the distance and the sun on the horizon caught me attention. In all I feel like the artist did an amazing job in capturing the sleeping women. She seems very relaxed and in a way also in a deep sleep while still looking flawless and peaceful. All the texture in the paining also gives it more life in my opinion from the slim to the fur to the skin and even the cement it all gives the painting so much life. The Flaming Jane is a beautiful paining with many articulate details making it a very eye catching piece. 

Module 14: Ekphrasis

Deep deep in sleep No need for the bedsheet Body is covered by this long dress Not overwhelming oneself because the body needs rest Sleeping on the couch And as quiet as a mouse The lady is wearing a dress Not a blouse She is sleeping on the couch Closed mouth Long hair Feet dangling from the chair Free of despair

The art I chose is a painting titled Flaming June. Sir Fredric Leighton is the artist who painted this painting. The essential details of this painting are the woman, her dress, and her hair. The woman has this bright, long orange dress on. She also has long brown hair, which it appears she is sitting on her hair. The woman is in deep sleep in this picture. My work captures the feeling of the painting because it explains what is going on in the Flaming June. I used a rhyme scheme to describe what was happening in this scene. I also used the rhyme scene to create imagery of what was happening in the painting. My ekphrasis goes into great detail about what is happening in this picture. I say that she is in deep sleep, and she does need a bedsheet. She has a dress that is so long, and it covers her body like a bedsheet. She is not overwhelming her body because she is taking well needed rest. She is sleeping on a couch, and she is not making any noise. Her mouth is closed as well, and her feet are on the floor. She looks very unbothered and at peace.

Sleep As a Therapy

my year of rest and relaxation - ottessa moshfegh / flaming june - sir fredric leighton / sleeping beauty - victor gabriel gilbert / heat lighting - mitski / sleeping girl - domenico fetti / and dream of sheep - kate bush / loving vincent (2018)

The bags under our eyes are designer. For Chanel, Dior, and so much more couture, join us on Nov 3 for Fall into Art, the Young Friends biggest party of the year with fashion-forward experiences inspired by Fabulous Fashion. 

“Portrait of a Roman Lady (La Nanna),” 1859, by Sir Fredric Leighton