Frederic Leighton
Flaming June is one of my favorite paintings. It is thought that the beautiful sleeping woman portrayed alludes to the figures of sleeping nymphs and naiads the Greeks often sculpted. According to some art historians, her pose is loosely modelled on that of Michelangelo's famous statue of Night, in the Medici Tombs in Florence, which Leighton regarded as one of the supreme achievements of Western art. What's interesting, the position of the sleeping woman gave Leighton a great deal of trouble. He made several preliminary sketches to determine the way in which she should lie; in particular he had difficulty making the angle of her right arm look natural. But it was worth it, the painting has become Leighton's most recognizable picture. The pose combined with the stunningly rich colors and the use of natural light, and the beautiful sunset that looks like molten gold make this painting so calm and wonderful.
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