Portrait of Mrs Leathart and her Three Children
Arthur Hughes, 1863–1865

The portrait was commissioned by the Pre-Raphaelite collector, James Leathart of Newcastle. It depicts his young wife and three daughters on a balcony feeding pigeons. The motif had its inspiration in a family group Hughes saw on a balcony in St Mark's Square, Venice in 1863. Other details in the picture confirm the inspiration of Italian Renaissance painting such as the slashed sleeves of the mother and the intertwining poses of mother and daughter.
More information
Title of artwork, date
Portrait of Mrs Leathart and her Three Children, 1863–1865
Date supported
1998
Medium and material
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
54.7 x 92.7 cm
Grant
17727
Total cost
283960

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