The San Francisco call., 1896-01-26

Frederick Leighton, Bart, P.R.A.,
LID, DEL, was born at Scarborough,
December 3, 1880, and from childhood
evinced strong passion for painting.
This his parents encouraged, and gave
him every opportunity for gratifying it.
They opposed, however. for a few years,
his desire to study art for the purpose of
making it profession.
His first systematic instructions in draw
ing were received in Rome in the winter
of 1878, from painter named FelippO
Nell. In 1928 he entered, as student,
the Royal Academy of Berlin. Then fol-
lowed withdrawal from art for year,
during which the embryo painter was re-
ceiving his general education at school
at Frankfort-on-Main. The winter of
1845 46 was spent at Florence, and here it
was that the father at last yielded to the
sons desire to embrace painting as a pro-
fession.
Some of the young students drawings
were submitted to the celebrated Ameri-
can sculptor, Hiram Powers, and the
father promised that his decision should
depend on the results of his interview
with the sculptor. The estimate formed
by Powers of the drawings being highly
favorable, the youthful Leighton was
permitted from that day forward to devote
the whole of his time to painting.
During part of the time, from 1846 to
1848, he studied in the Academy of Frank
fort-on-Main. The winter of 184S-49 he
passed in Brussels, and painted his first
finished picture, which represented story
of Cimabue finding Giotto drawing in the
fields. The succeeding twelve months he
spent in Paris. copying i'll the Louvre, and
attending a life school. Thence he re-
turned to Frankfort, where he became.
and continued till the early part of 1853, a
pupil of E. Steinle OF Vienna Zone OF the
followers of Overbeck), professor of his
torical paintings at the academy of that
city.
During this period several pictures were
painted by Lord Leighton, among others
a large one of "The Death of Brunei
lesco."
The whole of three winter seasons were
next passed in Rome in diligent study and
in painting large picture of "Cimabue,"
representing the procession consisting of
the picture of Cimabue, his scholars and
principal Florence contemporaries), which
is said to have accompanied Cimabue's pic
ture OF the Madonna, with great honor
and rejoicing, through the streets of Flo
renee to the church of Santa Maria No.
vella. The exhibition of this work by
Lord Leighton at the Royal Academy in
1855 was great surprise to the London
public, coming as it did from an artist .un-
known in England. It was at once pur-
chased by the Queen and re-exhibited at
the Manchester Art Treasures and the In.
ternational Exhibitions.
During four years after this early and
great success the artist resided in Paris.
studying, however, under no master,
though aided by the counsel of AIRY Schef-
fer, Robert Fleury and other French
painters.
He was chosen president of the Royal
Academy in succession TO the late Sir
Francis Grant November Is, 1873, and a
few days later received the honor of
knighthood. He was member of several
foreign artistic societies, and at the Paris
Exhibition of 1873 was nominated presi-
dent of the International Jury of Painting.
In 1888 he was elected member of the So.
ciety of Painters in Water Colors.
Sir +. Leighton was elevated to the peer.
age in the Queens distribution of New
Years honors at the beginning of 1896 and
assumed the title of Lord Leighton.