Frederic Leighton: Sir Richard F. Burton

"Portrait of Sir Richard F. Burton, K.C.M.G."
by Frederic Leighton

"In the Royal Academy in 1876 was Frederic Leighton's remarkable 'Portrait of Sir Richard F. Burton, K.C.M.G.' This is the finest portrait Leighton ever painted. It is merely the head and shoulders of the famous traveller, but marked by a vigour and a spontaneity quite unusual in his portraiture. 

There was nothing of the ideal about Richard Burton - he was a forceful personality, with no beauty of feature. Leighton has attempted no pose, but an easy, natural, wide-awake expression glances upwards in profile. The skin is tanned, the hair, rather unkempt, is brown. The black coat and dark brown red-spotted tie further project the head and features by sharp contrast. The greys and browns are played upon by a sunny light, and the effect is rich and animated. The correct technique and absence of hyper-finish evidence gifts and talents in the painter which one does not immediately recognize as characteristic, but they are satisfying proofs of his wealth of resource and the splendour of his versatility.

This portrait is memorable from the amusing episodes of the sittings. Leighton made up his mind - firmly as was his wont - how he meant to paint his subject. Burton's will was no less inflexible. So, to put Leighton on his mettle, he kept on looking up from the position in which he had been placed, and by violent contortions of the face jeopardized the idea Leighton had formulated. Now and then he interrupted the solemnity of the sitting by remarking with mock gravity, 'Mind you, make me nice!' Leighton responded by hearty laughter. That laughter was, as Watts calls it, 'the champagne mixture which Leighton used so sparingly in his work.'

The year's triumph cost Leighton much in worry and notoriety. Requests of all kinds were poured upon him to paint all manner of things. His ire was at last stirred by a great lady asking him to paint a firescreen! But he made the attempt, and, quite contrary to his usual manner, he failed. He ended up writing a courteous note begging her to accept a small picture instead."

To be continued

(Excerpts from "Lord Leighton of Stretton, P.R.A." by Edgcumbe Staley.)