Frederic Lord Leighton: Crenaia, the Nymph of the Dargle, 1880 (detail)

Frederic Leighton (1830-1896) was an English painter and sculptor, his works depicted historical, biblical and classical subjects. He received his artistic training in Europe studying under Eduard von Steinle and Giovanni Costa, and later at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence. From 1855 he lived in Paris, and in 1860 moved to London, where he was associated with the Pre-Raphaelites. He became an associate of the Royal Academy and later, in 1878 he was elected it's President.

The model for this painting was Dorothy Dene, Leighton’s muse and close friend in his later years, and here she is posed as Crenaia, Nymph of the Dargle, the river which flowed across Leighton’s patron Lord Powerscourt’s estate at Enniskerry, in Ireland. Her half-neglected drapery echoes the white of the water behind her and her skin glows magically. Dene was also the model for other paintings by Leighton, notably Antigone (1882) and Flaming June (1895).

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HC-726: card size 7" x 5" (178mm x 127mm)