Study for an Illustration for 'Romola': 'Drifting Away'

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Drawing details

Title: Study for an Illustration for 'Romola': 'Drifting Away'
Date: 1862-63
Media: Pencil on tracing paper
Dimensions: 11.3 x 16.6 cm
Location: Royal Academy of Arts, London
Picture credit: Royal Academy of Arts, London
Reference number: 04/1131
Inscriptions: Inscribed lower right "No 40" in pencil.

Interpretation

This study is a tracing for 'Drifting Away', Leighton's illustration to Chapter LXI of George Eliot's novel 'Romola'. The illustration depicts the character Romola leaving Florence and her husband Tito, following his involvement in the execution of her godfather, Bernardo del Nero. This tracing is not reversed and is almost identical to the published engraving. The illustration was engraved by Joseph Swain and was first published in the 'Cornhill Magazine' in June 1863, as the frontispiece to the Twelfth number (Volume 7, opposite p.681).

Description

Traced study for the composition of the illustration 'Drifting Away', Leighton's illustration to Chapter LXI of George Eliot's novel 'Romola'. 

Provenance

Bequeathed by the artist to his sisters, Mrs. Augusta Matthews (nTe Augusta Neunburg Leighton, 1835-1919) and Mrs. Alexandra Orr (nTe Alexandra Leighton, 1828-1903); presented to the Royal Academy of Arts, London by Matthews and Orr in 1896