Frederic Leighton (1830 – 1896) was the most famous English aestheticism painters of nineteenth century painting, enjoying a high reputation in the history of British painting. The subjects of his works were historical, biblical and classical
Frederic Leighton became symbol of English Royal Academicism through his the glorious artistic style. Different from the famous painters of the Victorian era, Leighton, as the president of the Painting Academy, was not a student of the Academy of Fine Arts, nor received education in his homeland. He studied and learned art off and on in Brussels, Paris and Frankfurt. Leiden's father was a classical art lover, he made a profound impact on young Leighton. Leiden. At the age of just 9, Leighton started to paint.
Greek Girls Picking up Pebbles
The painting Greek Girls Picking up Pebbles by the Sea was painted by Leighton in 1871, which was first shown at the Royal College of Art Gallery. The painting revealed the scene that full of dramatical effect. The four voluptuous young women with well-proportioned and beautiful body, were just like a goddess in the ancient Greek and Roman mythology. Their turban and cloak were blown away by the wind and looked like the halo behind the gods, giving a sense of holy reverence.
The Painter's Honeymoon
The Painter's Honeymoon was another famous painting by Leighton. This work was perfectly depicted, novel in design and color oriented and focused on the contrast of black and white relations. In it the painter was cuddling with his new wife. The young wife was watching the painter painting with very deep feelings. Leighton was good at designing the scene. He carefully dealt with the relation of light and shadow, making the figure in the painting full of noble sense.
Let's turn to At the Fountain now. The painter depicted the woman at the fountain in the classical way with delicate techniques and rigorous modeling. Her head and body were tilted on one side slightly, appearing elegant, free and easy. Realistic characterization of the face showed her outstanding beauty. Thee clothes was depicted in easy lines so as to reflect the beauty of the mature female body. This was the typical academic painting style of 19th century.
