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Flaming June

1895
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
According to Leighton, the composition was inspired by the posture of a tired model. He elaborated her sinuous pose and then added sheer orange draperies. Her skin flushed by the sun, she is transformed into a personification of summer heat. The image reflects Leighton’s allegiance to artistic ideals that emphasized harmonious color and form over narrative. This and Lachrymae (hanging nearby) were the last great pair of paintings he exhibited at the Royal Academy in London, in 1895. Critics raved, but tastes soon changed; Flaming June did not regain its fame until the Museo de Arte de Ponce acquired it in the 1960s. The frame is a reconstruction of the lost original designed by the artist.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Flaming June
  • Artist: Frederic, Lord Leighton (British, Scarborough 1830–1896 London)
  • Date: 1895
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 46 7/8 × 46 7/8 in. (119.1 × 119.1 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Museo de Arte de Ponce. The Luis A. Ferré Foundation, Inc.
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings