Art Funded by you

Clytie

Lord Frederic Leighton, c. 1895

This was Leighton's final work and was left unfinished in his studio when he died. Clearly autobiographical in its choice of subject, the work is invested with a personal symbolism and raw emotion that is almost unparalleled in the artist's output. The subject is taken from Ovid's Metamorphoses about the heartbroken nymph Clytie who, rejected by Apollo, spent nine days in a wild and isolated place watching as her former lover drove his chariot of the sun across the sky. She neither ate nor drank and as pallor spread over her body, she became rooted to the ground and began to take on the form of a flower. This is the first mature work by the artist to enter the collection at Leighton House. This work was acquired with assistance from the Wolfson Foundation.

More information

Title of artwork, date

Clytie, c. 1895

Date supported

2008

Medium and material

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

156 x 137 cm

Grant

82500

Total cost

420000

Content note: This object record is part of our archive and has not been updated since it was first published. It may contain inaccurate information or outdated language. Please get in touch if you think this record should be amended.

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