Lachrymae is the Latin word for tears, and this dark-robed woman standing before a Doric pillar and a funerary urn personifies mourning. The theme of loss, which Leighton treated many times late in his career, is reflected in details such as the wreaths, the fallen leaves, the background of myrtle, and the cypress trees. Lachrymae was shown at the Royal Academy, London, in 1895, shortly after it was completed.

Open full-size and alternate view(s)