'Rizpah'

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Painting details

Title: 'Rizpah'
Date: c.1893
Media: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 92.0 x 132.0 cm
Location: Untraced
Picture credit: Courtesy of Leighton House Museum, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (illustrated from Rhys, Ernest, 'Sir Frederic Leighton, Bart., P. R. A.: An Illustrated Chronicle', George Bell and Sons, London, 1895, p.xxvi., illustrated opposite p.xxviii)

Interpretation

This painting depicts a scene from a story of the Old Testament. Saul (king of Israel), had persecuted the Gibeonites (people of the city of Gibeon) for a trick they played on the Israelites. Following Saul's death the Gibeonites asked David (Saul's successor as king) to kill seven of Saul's sons. So "the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul". These seven men were hanged, probably from trees by a rope. This painting illustrates 2 Samuel, Chapter 21, verse 10: "And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night." Rizpah protected the bodies from vulchures and wild animals throughout the summer as it was seen as dishonourable to be eaten by animals in death. She spread cloth over the ground as a sign of her mourning. Leighton's interpretation of the scene shows three bodies, rather than seven, crucified, rather than hung. He has drawn a parrallel with the story of the crucifixion of Christ and the two theives, and the idea of atonement. Atonement, used in verse 3 to described this event, was a word used frequently in the Old Testament for sacrifices made to bring about a reconciliation. The word is used just once in the New Testament in reference to the death of Christ. Marion Harry Alexander Spielmann (art editor of the Pall Mall Gazette, editor of the Magazine of Art, 1858-1948) wrote of 'Rizpah': "as a design it is altogether admirable, and, of course, in point of draughtsmanship it is exquisite." [see: Spielmann, Marion Harry Alexander, 'The Royal Academy Exhibition-I', 'The Magazine of Art', 1893, p.220]

Description

Three men are shown crucified on crosses. Their feet rest on a small skelf of wood attached to the cross. Their ankles and fore-arms are tied to the cross. Their heads hang forward in death and are covered by drapery. To the left of the canvas a naked crucified man is shown in three quarter profile from behind, turned to his right. To the right of the canvas the crucified man has drapery tied around his waist and is shown in profile facing to his left. The third crucified man is in the centre of the canvas and is seen in three quarter profile facing to his right. His body is covered in drapery and a rope is twisted around his legs. In fron tof the base of the cross is a gold coloured jug. A woman stands on the ground and leans back against him. Her left arm is wrapped protectively around him. Her face is seen in profile facing to her right. Her upper body is seen in three quarter profile, facing to her right. Her lower body faces the viewer. In her right hand she holds a sickle. Her right foot points forward and her left foot is bent back beneath her and supports her wait. Under her feet drapery has been spread over the ground. Above the group three vulchures circle. Behind them are two trees and two leapards looking out from between the trees.

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); sold through Christie's, London 13 July 1896 (lot 109) ; purchased by Lord Cowdray; by descent to Annie, Viscountess Cowdray; sold through Sotheby's, London 10 July 1933 (lot 571); collection of Sir George Christie; sold through Christie's, London 23 June 1989 (lot 140) for ú88,000.

Bibliography

• Barrington, Mrs. Russell, 'The Life, Letters and Work of Frederic, Lord Leighton', George Allen, London, 1906, volume II, p.391
• Corkran, Alice, 'Frederic Leighton', Methuen and Co., London, 1904, p.200
• Jones, Stephen et al., 'Frederic Leighton', Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1996, p.40
• 'Magazine of Art', 1893, p.217-220, illustrated on p.253
• Ormond, LeonTe and Richard, 'Lord Leighton', Yale University Press, London, 1975, p.172 catalogue number 376
• Rhys, Ernest, 'Sir Frederic Leighton, Bart.

Exhibition history

• 1893, Royal Academy of Arts, catalogue number 159
• 1893, Liverpool Autumn Exhibition, catalogue number 888
• 1896, Munich
• 1896, Budapest

Reproductions

Photograph by Cassell and Co.