Study for "The Wise and Foolish Virgins"
1826 to 1850
Medium
black chalk heightened with white on blue wove paper
Dimensions
overall: 45 x 29.5 cm (17 11/16 x 11 5/8 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of William B. O'Neal
Accession Number
1995.52.106
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing, *Study for "The Wise Foolish Virgins" by Frederic, Lord Leighton offers a glimpse into the preparatory process of one of the Victorian master's allegorical masterpieces. Created between 1826 and 1850, it depicts figures from the biblical parable in Matthew 25, symbolizing prudence and folly as the wise virgins prepare their lamps for the bridegroom's arrival. Leighton, a leading figure in the Academic art movement, was renowned for his classical themes, precise anatomy, and luminous effects, drawing inspiration from Renaissance masters like Raphael. Executed in black ch...
About the Artist
Frederic, Lord Leighton · 1830–1896
Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton (1830–1896), was born on 3 December 1830 in Scarborough, England, to a prosperous medical family. His father, Dr. Frederic Septimus Leighton, and mother, Augusta Susan, provided him with financial security throughout his life, while his grandfather, Sir James Boniface Leighton, had served as physician to Russian tsars Alexander I and Nicholas I. After early ed...