'Buffalmacco the Painter'

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Drawing details

Title: 'Buffalmacco the Painter'
Date: 1852
Media: Chalk and watercolour on paper
Dimensions: 60.2 x 27.4 cm
Location: Leighton House Museum
Picture credit: Leighton House Museum, The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Reference number: LHO/D/0867
Inscriptions: Inscribed lower right "FL./52" in black chalk, in the artist's hand. Inscribed centre right "OSTER / 1A" in black chalk, in the artist's hand, (on the tavern sign). Inscribed on reverse "G.98" in pencil.

Interpretation

This is one of Leighton's many early humorous compositions. It depicts Buonamico Buffalmacco (Italian painter, c.1315-1336) creeping away from a convent, where he should be working on a fresco, for an evening of merriment, leaving a dummy of himself to fool the nuns. The subject comes from Vasari's 'Lives of the Artist's' (1550).

Description

Completed watercolour of a composition entitled 'Buffalmacco the Painter'. 

Provenance

Bequeathed by the artist to his sisters, Mrs. Augusta Matthews (n+e Augusta Neunburg Leighton, 1835-1919) and Mrs. Alexandra Orr (n+e Alexandra Leighton, 1828-1903); purchased by the Fine Art Society in 1896 (Fine Art Society reference number G98); purchased from the Fine Art Society by G. E. Shepheard of 5 Pall Mall Place, London W1 for ú10:10:0; collection of Leighton House Museum 

Bibliography

• Cockerell, Samuel Pepys (Foreward), 'Catalogue of a Collection of Studies for Pictures, Designs and Sketches by the Late Lord Leighton, P.R.A.', The Fine Art Society, London, 1896, p.7, p.17 catalogue number 22
• Dorment, Richard, et al., 'Victorian High Renaissance: George Frederic Watts 1817-1904, Frederic Leighton 1830-1896, Albert Moore 1841-1893, Alfred Gilbert 1854-1934', Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 1978, p.99
• Ormond, Leon+e and Richard, 'Lord Leighton', Yale University Press, London, 1 

Exhibition history

• December 1896 to 1897, 'Collection of Studies for Pictures, Designs and Sketches by the Late Lord Leighton, P.R.A.', Fine Art Society, London, catalogue number 22
• 2003 to 2004 'Leighton in Italy: 1852-1855', Leighton House Museum, London