Frederic Leighton

Frederic Leighton (1830–1896) was born in Scarborough, the son of a doctor, and was educated at University College School in London before training on the Continent under Eduard von Steinle and Giovanni Costa. He studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence, lived in Paris from 1855 to 1859, where he met Ingres, Delacroix and Corot, and spent long periods in Rome before settling in London in 1860. He painted historical, biblical and classical subjects in an academic manner, and was also a sculptor: his Athlete Wrestling with a Python of 1877 was taken to open a revival in British sculpture. He became President of the Royal Academy in 1878 and held the post until his death. His paintings were hugely popular and expensive in his lifetime, then fell out of critical favour for decades. In 1896 he became the first painter raised to the peerage and died the day after the patent was issued. His house in Holland Park, Leighton House, is now open to the public. Here: Flaming June.