The Sluggard

Frederic Leighton was one of the most influential figures in the late nineteenth-century art world and served as president of the Royal Academy from 1878 until his death. Although best known as a painter, Leighton also made a number of accomplished sculptures. This bronze was cast from a sketch-model, which Leighton developed into a full-size statue, shown at the Royal Academy in 1886. His Sluggard refers to indolence and lassitude, states that for Leighton and other artists associated with the aesthetic movement opened new and unexplored avenues of sensuality and beauty.

Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2020