'Memories'

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Painting details

Title: 'Memories'
Date: c.1883
Media: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 76.0 x 64.5 cm
Location: Untraced
Picture credit: Courtesy of Leighton House Museum, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (illustrated from a photogravure)

Interpretation

Edith Pullen, sister of Leighton's friend and favourite model Dorothy Dene, sat for this painting. A biography of 1904 remarked "In 1883, 'Memories', thought not one of the most typical of Leighton's pictures, decidedly pleased the general public. It shows the half-length figure of a blonde in a black and gold dress." An engraving of the painting by J. D. Miller was published in 1887 [see: Corkran, Alice, 'Frederic Leighton', Methuen & Co., London, 1904, p.44; 'Important Nineteenth Century Pictures', Christie's, London, Friday 26 June 1987, catalogue number 110]

Description

Half-length, seated female figure, turned to the left. The figure's head rests against the left hand. The right arm rests by the right side of the figure, obscured by a black shawl. The figure wears a black shawl with gold decoration, draped over the back of the head, around the shoulders and upper body. The arm of the wooden chair she is seated in is also visible.

Provenance

Sold through sotheby's, 18 June1985 (lot 53); Christie's, London, 'Important Nineteenth Century Pictures', Friday 26 June 1987, (lot 110), unsold

Bibliography

• Blackburn, Henry, 'Academy Notes', 1883, p.35
• Barrington, Mrs. Russell, 'The Life, Letters and Work of Frederic, Lord Leighton', George Allen, London, 1906, volume II, p.389
• Corkran, Alice, 'Frederic Leighton', Methuen and Co., London, 1904, p.44
• Jones, Stephen et al., 'Frederic Leighton', Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1996, catalogue number 88
• 'Magazine of Art', 1883, p.351
• Ormond, LeonTe and Richard, 'Lord Leighton', Yale University Press, London, 1975, pp. 128, 135, 167 catalogue number 3

Exhibition history

• 1883, Royal Academy of Arts, London, catalogue number 332

Reproductions

Mezzotint by J. D. Miller, published in 1887.