British Painting, 1800 - 1900

Sol ardiente de junio

Pintada por Lord Frederic Leighton hacia el final de su vida, ésta es su obra más célebre. El artista plasma un ideal estético en la figura de la voluptuosa mujer que duerme acariciada por el sol mediterráneo. Seguidor de una tradición figurativa que se remonta al Renacimiento y la antigüedad clásica, Leighton fue al mismo tiempo un destacado exponente de la radical filosofía del “arte por el arte”, que permitía el uso del color y la línea como meros agentes de la forma abstracta. En esta pintura, el artista orquesta con gracia los tonos naranja del vestido transparente de la modelo, que se desborda en encendidos pliegues hacia los límites del cuadro. A pesar de su pose contorsionada, la joven parece estar en total relajación, prueba de la destreza de Leighton en el manejo de las formas corporales. En el arte victoriano, la mujer dormida es un motivo recurrente que alude al inconsciente y la evasión de la realidad. Aquí, el impenetrable mundo interior de la durmiente le sirve como defensa ante la mirada voyerista del espectador.

Literatura:

MAP Catalog I, 1965, pp 100-101, pl 150MAP Catalog II, 1985, p174, 176MAP 100 Masterpieces. 2002 #84, p 192 and cover; T-B v. XXII, p. 593-94.Benezit 1976, v. 6, p. 552. Grove Dictionary of Art 1996 MacMillan London, v. 19, p.103-104; Pepys Cockerell, S. (pref.) in The Graphic” 1895 Drawings and Studies by the Late Lord Leighton of Stretton, P.R.A. (London Fine Art Society, 1898) guard sheet over pl. 37; Rhys, E: Frederic Lord Leighton (London, 1900) 51; Staley, J.E.: Lord Leighton of Stretton, P.R.A. (London, 1906)154, 158f, 249; Mrs. R. Barringron, The Life and Letters and Work of Fredeic Leighton, (London, 1906), II, 260, 262f, ill.; Held, J.S. The New Museum in Ponce, The Art Quarterly, 27, 1964, 26, fig. 10, catalog I, 101; Taylor, R, The Ponce Art Museum: Antiques, 90, 1966, 680, color pl.; Reynolds, G: Victorian Painting (London, “Studio Vista” 1966) 138, pl. 80 in color; Maas, J: Victorian Painters (New York, 1969) 181, pl. 185, dust jacket in color; Ormond, R & L: Lord Leighton (New Haven, Yale U Press, 1975) 129-131, 172-3, cat. n. 388; Ormond, R. Leighton’s Frescoes in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London 1975; Hofmann, W. Gustav Klimt, (Greenwich, Conn., “NY Graphic Soc.,” 1972 35 ill.; Cooper, N. The Opulent Eye: Late Victorian and Edwardian Taste in Interior Design. The Whitney Library of Design, Watson-Guptil Publications. 1977. p 86: photo of Lord Leighton’s studio with Flaming June on an easel. ISBN 0-8230-7402-1; Staley, A. and Hedberg, G.: Victorian High Renaissance. Minneapolis Institute of Arts, (Manchester, Lund Humphries). 1978) 124-5, no. 61 pl. 7 (color); Green, M. Recreation of Olympus in High, Heroic Days of Victoria’s Reign. Smithsonian Magazine Washington, D.C. Vol 9, #9, pp 48-57; Newall, C. Art of Lord Leighton, Phaidon Press Ltd. London & New York1990, p 134; Bowron, Edgar Peters European Paintings before 1900 in the Fogg Art Museum. Summary catalog. Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, Mass. 1990. #79. ISBN 0-916724-76- X; 19th Century European Paintings, Drawings, Watercolors and Sculptures, Christie’s New York, Auction cat. May 27, 1993, #255 p. 146; Christie’s International Magazine, Leighton’s Venus and Cupid Rediscovered, by John Christian, June/July 1993, p. 28; Fine Victorian Drawings and Watercolors, Christie’s London auction cat. 5 Nov 1993, #119, p. 68; Jones, S., Newall, C. , et al., Frederic, Lord Leighton – Eminent Victorian Artist, Harry, N. Abrahams, Inc., with Royal Academy of Arts. London 1996;”Frederick Leighton 1830-1896”; Exh Cat Royal Academy exh, 1996; Christian, J. A Picture of Innocence Christie’s Magazine June 1998, pp 48-9; Victorian Pictures Auction cat. Sotheby’s London 3 June 1998, #203, pg 103; Victorian Pictures Auction cat .Sotheby’s London 9 June 1999, #s121-3, pp 62- Victorian Painting, London, Christopher Wood, Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1999, pp 176 -193. ISBN 0 297 83552 1British Pictures 1500-1580 & Victorian Pictures Auction Cat. Christie’s, London, June 10, 2003, p. 110Important British & Irish Art, Christie’s Auction Cat. London, June 11, 2003, #18 pgs. 103. Kilinski II, K. Leighton on the Nile, The Burlington Magazine, UK September 2003, pgs. 646-648; British Pictures 1500-1850 and Victorian Pictures including the John H. Schaeffer Collection of British New Sculpture. Christie’s London. Auction catalog. Friday, 11 June 2004 at 10.30 A.M. pp. 71, 144.

Procedencia:

1895 Mrs. James Watney, purchased; 1915-1930 lent to Ashmolean Museum, Oxford by Mr. Vernon Watney, her son.

Exposiciones:

1895 London, Royal Academy; 1897 Royal Academy. Ashmolean Museum In Oxford between 1915 And 1930 By Mrs. Charles Lyell and then went to the Maas Gallery. Lord Leighton Memorial Exhibition; Leighton House, London, 1930, cat. #9; 1965 National Gallery of Canada. An Exhibirion of Paintings & Drawings by Victorian Artists in England. Cat. #78 ill.; 1978 City Art Gallery Manchester. Victorian High Renaissance, 1978 Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 1979 Brooklyn Museum; 1996 Royal Academy of Arts, London, Feb.-May, “Frederick Leighton 1830-1896”; The 1996 Tate Gallery, London, May-Sept.