Letters from Frederic Leighton to Sir Arthur Herbert Church

RA Collection: Archive

Archive context

Showing item 3 of 8 in this group

Reference code

LEI/44

Title

Letters from Frederic Leighton to Sir Arthur Herbert Church

Date

1880-1895

Level

File

Extent & medium

1 volume, of 87 items

Previous reference codes

609

Content Description

All of the letters discuss the chemistry of painting, focussing on pigments and grounds. A manuscript index is provided at the rear of the volume. Three letters from other writers are also at the rear of the volume. Two from Frederick Eaton, secretary of the Royal Academy, concerning Leighton's funeral, and one other, from George Aitchison, mourning Leighton's death.

Acquisition Details

Presented to the Royal Academy by Sir Arthur Church in 1914 (ref. RAA/PC/1/23, p.163.

Arrangement

Many of the letters hold either no date or only partial dates. However, the arrangement was established by Church and where dates do survive it corroborates a chronical order. Each letter is numbered by Church and so a fair degree of confidence exists that he retained an arrange with the earliest letter first and the latest last. The postcards appear to be arranged similarly.

Physical Characteristics

The letters have been expensively mounted and bound in a gilt blue morocco volume with end papers and boards lined red silk.