Royal Collection Conserves Leighton
April 10 2025
Picture: © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust.
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Royal Collection Trust have shared news of the conservation of Lord Frederic Leighton's Nanna (Pavonia) in preparation for their upcoming exhibition The Edwardians: Age of Elegance which opens at The King's Gallery tomorrow (Friday 11th April 2025).
According to the RCT's press release:
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The conservation resulted in:
-Details were made clearer, including Leighton’s ‘L’ monogram with the date ‘59 – cleaning brought out its calligraphic quality and brick red colour.
-The variety of textures in the paint – cleaning revealed that Leighton had carefully used his brush to create fine, wispy trails to the feathers in the fan, to give just one example.
-The 'sensuous' green, violet, and russet tones of the peacock feathers of the fan came out, helping the conservator Nicola Christie realise that these colours echo the colours of the fruit.
-The intricacy of the sitter’s braided hairstyle and the subtleties in the tones of her dark hair were revealed – the conservator could now pick out shades of aubergine and deep blue in her dark hair.
-It brought out the clarity of the pearls in her hair, and how they are reflecting light – Nicola’s convinced they reflect the windows of Leighton’s studio – and their very smooth texture.
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