Frederic, Lord Leighton, P.R.A.
Mnemosyne, Mother of the Muses
Property from a Private Collection, Greece
Frederic, Lord Leighton, P.R.A.
British
1830 - 1896
Mnemosyne, Mother of the Muses
oil on canvas
Unframed: 132 by 95cm., 52 by 38in.
Framed: 152 by 116cm., 60 by 45in.
The canvas has been lined and is providing a stable structural support. The painting has old retouchings which have discoloured and are visible to the naked eye. We would recommend that these are removed and the picture is retouched more sensitively. UNDER ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT The old retouchings appear to be excessive and crudely applied - these should be removed by a professional painting restorer so that the painting can be retouched more appropriately.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colors and shades which are different to the lot's actual color and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation. The condition report is a statement of opinion only. For that reason, the condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ONLINE CONDITION REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE/BUSINESS APPLICABLE TO THE RESPECTIVE SALE.
Sold by the Trustees of the Marquand Estate, Anderson Galleries, New York, 23-31 January 1903, lot 91, where purchased by Cottier & Co for $16,000
James Ross of Peel Street, Montreal and thence to his son Jack Ross, his sale Christie’s, London, 8 July 1927, part of lot 9 entitled Music, bought for 315 guineas by Nathan Mitchell (picture dealer) of 59 Duke Street, London
William Walker Sampson & Son, London by whom sold Christie’s, London, 7 February 1930, lot 50 as The Mother of the Muses
Probably given to the Dramatic Hall of the South Eastern Gas Board, Croydon, c.1940
Sale: Christie’s, London, 20 June 1986, lot 84
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner
The Art Journal, 1886, p. 221
Ernest Rhys, Sir Frederic Leighton, London, 1895, illustrated in an unfinished state p. 38
Alice Corkran, Frederic Leighton, London, 1904, p. 207
Leonée and Richard Ormond, Lord Leighton, New Haven and London, 1975, p. 168, no. 323 (as Decoration in Painting for a Ceiling)
Daniëlle O. Kisluk-Grosheide, ‘The Marquand Mansion’, Metropolitan Museum Journal, volume 29, 1994, original appearance illustrated figure 20, p. 164
Kathleen M. Morris and Alexis Goodin (eds.), Orchestrating Elegance, Williamstown, Massachusetts, 2017, pp. 156-165, illustrated fig. 140
Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, Autumn Exhibition, 1886, no. 1049