Allegorical Female Figure with Lion, Lamb, Two Putti - Frederic Leighton (n.d.)

Frederic Leighton

Brush and brown wash, with graphite and traces of brush and reddish-brown wash, on tan wove paper

Art Institute of Chicago

This drawing by Frederic Leighton depicts an allegorical female figure accompanied by a lion, a lamb, and two putti — a composition rich in symbolic resonance evoking themes of harmony, peace, and reconciliation between opposing forces. Executed in brush and brown wash with graphite and traces of reddish-brown wash on tan wove paper, the work exemplifies Leighton's mastery of draughtsmanship and his facility with the academic figurative tradition rooted in his extensive European training. Leighton (1830–1896) was one of the preeminent British Victorian painters and draughtsmen, celebrated for works depicting historical, biblical, and classical subject matter in a refined academic style deeply informed by his studies in Frankfurt, Florence, and Paris. Though undated, the drawing reflects the allegorical ambitions and classical idealism that characterised his broader oeuvre and his commitment to elevating British art through formal beauty and serious subject matter.