Lord Leighton

Wet Sundays are an invitation to urban walks and art galleries rather than getting out in the muddy countryside. After having railed against the near-pornography of the Musee d'Orsay a month or so ago, I saw the opposite apply in an exhibition of Lord Leighton's drawings at the City Museum.

In all the fifty or so small sketches and drawings shown, his draughtsmanship was superb; but where were the nudes? Leighton's drawings of faces and clothing are detailed enough to be photographs, and his mastery of facial expression is wonderful, but he didn't seem interested in female bodies, typically giving them a blur below the waistline. I guess the same went for male nudes, but he did seem to prefer drawing male faces and bodies to women's.

After the antiseptic drawings, Moonface & I wandered upstairs to the Victorian collection for a change. It's been much too long since we looked at the standing collections, and they have changed significantly. There is a Leighton, of course: a version of the Mermaid & the Fisherman. Again, Leighton seems more interested in the male body rather than the female, but we all have our preferences. He's very good on her hair, though.

There were a couple of fun Beryl Cooks, which she donated to the city a few years ago when she lived here. I do like her fat, jolly women.