Frederic Leighton’s masterpiece, "Flaming June," has become one of the icons of nineteenth-century painting. This lecture returns the work to its original context in Leighton’s studio and home, and to the hothouse atmosphere of London’s Aesthetic Movement with its creed of “Art for Art’s Sake.” Leighton was one of the artists who inspired the critic Walter Pater to write, “All art constantly aspires towards the condition of music.” This lecture, including musical examples, will explore the confluence of sound, painting, and the decorative arts in Leighton’s London studio-house, and will propose a new interpretation of Flaming June in that context.

Flaming June will be on view in OKCMOA’s galleries this summer! Plan your visit to our special exhibition, "The Sense of Beauty: Six Centuries of Painting from Museo de Arte de Ponce," opening June 20. The exhibition has been organized by the Museo de Arte de Ponce in collaboration with the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.

Image Credit:
Frederic, Lord Leighton (England, 1830-1896), "Flaming June" (detail), 1895, oil on canvas, 46 7/8 x 46 7/8 in. (119.1 x 119.1 cm), Museo de Arte de Ponce. The Luis A. Ferré Foundation, Inc.