(1830 - 1896)
Frederic, Lord Leighton was born in Scarborough but spent much of his childhood in Europe, with his family. When he was 16 his family settled in Frankfurt, where Leighton first studied art. He later moved to Italy. In 1855, Leighton’s reputation was secured when his ‘Cimabue’s Celebrated Madonna’ was bought by Queen Victoria at the Royal Academy. After spending time in Rome and Paris, Leighton moved to London in 1859. He continued to travel extensively throughout his career, but most frequently visited Italy. A trip to Damascus in 1873 influenced the style and design of the Arab Hall: an extension he commissioned for his Holland Park home in the 1870s. Leighton was President of the Royal Academy from 1878 until his death at the age of 65.
