Discover how two paintings exploring different styles of beauty by the prominent Victorian artist, Frederic Leighton, were carefully conserved for the exhibition, The Edwardians: Age of Elegance.
Purchased by the future Edward VII, 'Nanna' and 'Bianca' complement each other with contrasting themes of glamour and innocence, linked by their similar size and framing, despite being painted three years apart.
Edward, Prince of Wales, encountered 'Nanna' painted from model Anna Risi, in Leighton's studio during a cultural tour of Rome. The Prince admired the painting, which was initially promised to another, but he eventually acquired it, marking his first important art purchase. The paintings became some of Edward's prized possessions.
Witness the transformative power of conservation as we reveal the hidden details, vibrant colors, and delicate textures of both artworks. From the striking features of 'Nanna' to the serene innocence of 'Bianca', explore the contrasting styles of beauty epitomized by Leighton's masterful brushwork.
This video shares the meticulous conservation process that brought these masterpieces back to life, highlighting details like Leighton's signature, the subtle pearls in Nanna's hair, and the silky tones of Bianca's gown. Uncover the intriguing history and enduring allure of these two remarkable paintings that captivated a king and continue to fascinate audiences today.
We have these two paintings by Frederick Leighton, Nana and Bianca, which were conserved
specially for the exhibition The Edwardian's Age of Elegance. Frederick Leighton was one of the
most successful, influential artists of the Victorian Age. We have a number of works by
Frederick Leighton in the Royal Collection, including these two paintings, Nana and Bianca.
Edward, Prince of Wales, the future Edward VII, went on a cultural tour of Rome aged 17,
and during that time he visited a number of artists' studios, including Leighton's,
and it was in Leighton's studio in Rome that he first saw Nana. In the journal that Edward kept
while he was in Rome, he wrote about how he admired the three beautiful portraits of a Roman
Edward admired the portrait. Unfortunately, the painting had already been promised to someone
else, Georges de Monbrisson. De Monbrisson agreed to cede the painting to the Prince of Wales,
and Leighton very reluctantly painted a copy, which hangs today at Leighton House.
We believe that Nana was the first independent and significant purchase by Edward, and it set
the tone for his future collecting. Nana hung in the Prince of Wales' rooms at Fruin Hall at
the University of Oxford when he studied there, and then the pair were brought together in the
King's dressing room at Buckingham Palace. Here they hung amongst an array of Homburg hats and
canes. Edward kept them close to him throughout his life and reign. Both paintings have been
conserved and treated, especially for the exhibition. They were both last conserved in
the 1970s. At this point, Nana was blind, and the varnish that was applied over the years had
attracted a level of dirt and dust, and it is this that has been removed to reveal the wonderful
textures and colours in this painting. Leighton was in Rome for the winter of 1858 to 59, and here
he came across Nana. Her name was Anna Risi. She was a model, the wife of a shoemaker or a cobbler,
and she modelled for other artists in Rome. As you can see from the painting, she has incredibly
striking features. She was tall and imposing, with these hooded eyes and dark raven hair.
Leighton painted her on a number of occasions, and we know that in his studio at that time there
were four or five paintings of Nana. Prior to the conservation, the canvas had a yellowing
surface, and the conservation has really revealed the wonderful white tones in the blouse, the
textures, the velvet of this band towards her back, the wonderful delicate ends of this peacock
feather fan, the twirling calligraphic signature of Leighton with an L59 on the right-hand side,
the wonderful subtleties of the pearls in her dark plaited hair,
and the light source which hits her earlobe and just under her chin.
Bianca, meaning white in Italian, is also a girl's name, and here we see a young woman
in beautiful Renaissance-style costume with her arms crossed. The mood is one of reflection
and thoughtfulness, and perhaps innocence, which is emphasised by the doves in the top
right-hand corner. She's in a world of her own. Recent conservation has revealed these wonderful
soft silky white and cream tones, the feathers of the dove, and they almost seem to reflect the
roses or the flowers in the upper right-hand side, as well as perhaps the soft umbers and
the tones that, again, Leighton has used. We don't think they were intended as a pair.
They were painted about three years apart. Although they are both the same size,
they're framed identically, they hang quite naturally together as contrasting styles of
beauty, which seem to be sort of epitomised with the motifs that Leighton has used
in the corner of the paintings. The peacock feather gives this sense of sort of brooding
glamour, while the doves in Bianca give this element of radiance and innocence.
