Frederic Leighton: Peace and War Murals

Sketch for "The Arts of Industry as Applied to War"
by Frederic Leighton

"Two great works by Frederic Leighton of this and following years was seen in the Italian Court of the Victoria and Albert Museum at South Kensington. On the opposing ends of this room he painted two lunettes: 'The Industrial Arts as Applied to War,' and 'The Industrial Arts as Applied to Peace.' 

The notion of thus decorating the hall originated with Albert, the Prince Consort, anxious to signalize the national gratitude on the close of the Crimean War, and the universal appreciation of the efforts to bring all peoples together which formed the main motive of the Great Exhibition of 1851. As early as 1860 the Prince had broached the subject with Leighton, but it took a long period to remove official obstruction, and not till 1871 - ten years after the death of the Prince Consort - was Leighton able to begin his designs.

In the following year the studies were completed. The 'Arts of War' occupied the years 1873-79, and the 'Arts of Peace' the years 1883-85. The designs for both frescoes were done by Leighton and afterwards elaborated, under his direct and constant supervision, by students of the Royal School of Art. 

Whilst engaged upon these grand compositions, Leighton met with an accident which might easily have proved fatal, but luckily did not. One of the heads in the 'Arts of War' gave great trouble, and Leighton, forgetting for the time that he stood on a ladder, moved backwards, and was thrown onto the floor twelve feet below. Bruised and shaken, he laughed the accident off. 'South Kensington,' he said, 'is doing its best to kill me. It may as well bury me, too!'

For these two magnificent frescoes Leighton received the unworthy fee of 3,000 pounds. Together they constitute a complete expression of all that Leighton loved and lived for. In them the painter displayed all the sweet colours of his Italian palette, and all the perfect forms of his Grecian models."

To be continued

(Excerpts from "Lord Leighton of Stretton, P.R.A." by Edgcumbe Staley. More detailed info here: https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-south-court-and-leighton-frescos )