Excavating evidence from Frederic Leighton’s paintings of the female nude

Keren Rosa Hammerschlag*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Victorian critics repeatedly accused Frederic Leighton's painted figures of appearing as if they were made of intermediate substances between marble and flesh, especially wax. In this essay, I take this charge seriously. I argue that in his paintings of the female nude Leighton sought to elevate the naked bodies of his life models to the exalted status of the marble Venuses of Greek antiquity. Yet this transformation remains incomplete, his female nudes continuing to bear evidence of the artist's encounter with the fragmented bodies of antique Venuses and the naked working-class bodies of his life models.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)442-457
Number of pages16
JournalVictorian Studies
Volume56
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2014
Externally publishedYes

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