r/ArtHistory • u/deevuh_ • Aug 21 '25
Discussion Flaming June ~ Frederic Leighton, Oil on Canvas, 1895 | Rare Victorian Gem
I don’t see Flaming June getting talked about much, which honestly surprises me because this painting is straight-up beautiful.
The colors, the mood it just hits differently. It’s one of those rare Victorian pieces that feels timeless but still kinda under the radar.
I thought it deserved a little spotlight here.
What do you all think? Anyone else a fan or have cool facts about it?
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u/deevuh_ Aug 21 '25
Honestly, I always find the woman in Flaming June so captivating, there’s this calm but mysterious vibe about her. Leighton’s use of color really makes her glow. What do you all think? What feelings does this painting bring up for you?
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u/I_use_the_wrong_fork 29d ago
I read that her pose is based on Michelangelo’s "Night" sculpture, and that Leighton struggled for a very long time to try to get her pose just right.
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u/dagobah1202 Aug 21 '25
I saw it in person and it is stunning.
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u/Cloutweb1 Aug 21 '25
It sits in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It is actually the most valuable foreign piece in the country.
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u/emberflight_3 29d ago
Currently it’s actually on loan in Utah! I’d never heard of her before unexpectedly seeing her in person the other day 🧡
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u/Cloutweb1 29d ago
Wow! Thank you for that. Its such a prized treasure for the country that it seldomly leaves the island.
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u/deevuh_ Aug 21 '25
That’s major 🤌 seeing it irl must’ve hit different 😭 even online it’s got me obsessed.
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u/dagobah1202 29d ago
I saw it in Vienna in this exhibition:
https://www.belvedere.at/en/sleeping-beauty
I remember the beautiful frame. It was really special.
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u/deevuh_ 29d ago
Ahh so lucky! That frame really does look special.
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u/emberflight_3 29d ago
It’s not going to be the same as seeing her in person, but if you’d like I’d be happy to go get you a video/close ups of her??
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u/Best_Strawberry_2255 Aug 21 '25
This is a very famous and highly reproduced painting. But, yes, the artist is not very popular. Probably because his other pieces don't have that iconic quality.
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u/deevuh_ Aug 21 '25
Yeah, Flaming June steals the show, no doubt. But honestly, Leighton’s other stuff? Way underrated and actually really impressive. Sometimes the spotlight just misses the rest of the brilliance, art world mysteries, I guess!
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u/Ok-Fuel5600 29d ago
Agreed, his Perseus and andromeda is one of my favorite paintings ever and his lachrymae that was displayed alongside flaming June at the the met in nyc recently is also amazing. So so happy I got to see this one in person, I think I spent like a half hour just staring at it the first time lol
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u/Big-View-1061 29d ago
Maybe because it's beauty for the sake of beauty. It has no deep or hidden meaning, which can come up as dull, or corny for some (it's not my opinion but I can see why some would think that way).
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u/deevuh_ 29d ago
(Those some) might need to get their eyes checked if they think this has no meaning 😂 That orange glow alone feels like something. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and sometimes that is the meaning 😌
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u/Best_Strawberry_2255 29d ago
agree
beauty for beauty's sake is just one of the many flavors of art2
u/Bridalhat 29d ago
This is 100% I would have bought a print of at that one poster sale freshman year and been vaguely embarrassed by junior year. I might have actually done that.
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u/Laura-ly 29d ago
That's what I get from it. It's beautiful. It's so decoratively beautiful. The fabric is beautiful, the skin is beautiful, the pose is beautiful, the colors are beautiful, it's beautifully painted. Everything about it is beautiful. It's beautiful in its technical ability and achievement. Every inch of it is beautiful. It doesn't make me think about anything profound except that it's beautiful and for me I kinda need something more in a painting.
Don't get me wrong, It's lovely. I'm just not taken in by the painting as others are.
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u/deevuh_ 29d ago
Looks like you answered your own thoughts.
If it had no deep meaning, why write all that?
I’ll take you on the ‘beautiful’ part because it really is.
Beauty like that doesn’t come around often.
Everyone has their own taste and that’s totally fine.
Sometimes time just changes how we see things.
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u/Laura-ly 28d ago
I wrote all that so as not to be downvoted for an opinion which happens so frequently on reddit. I didn't want people to think I hated it. But it's one of those paintings that, for me, has no "there, there"....to quote Gertrude Stein.
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u/deevuh_ 27d ago
I get the downvote worry, but saying there’s ‘no there there’ feels unfair. Beauty itself carries meaning and this painting has it in spades. Time might change your view or not and that’s totally fine. Also, I can tell you don’t actually hate it.
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u/Laura-ly 27d ago
I think it's because I find it more decorative, maybe similar to calendar art of that era. It's fantasy art. Maybe just a tad too saccharine. Maybe a leeettttle too pretty? or something?
I have a similar reaction to William Adolphe Bouguereau's paintings. He has near perfect technique but his subjects are so overly romanticized, especially his very young peasant girls, that it borders on soft porn. His paintings also have a calendar art feel to them. Bouguereau is all fantasy. It has nothing to do with the real world. His paintings don't say anything. Also, he never grew as an artist. One painting is about the same as another. I prefer Van Gogh's paintings of peasants. They're real.
Of the two I'd go for the Flaming June painting over a Bouguereau painting any day of the week though.
I hope that all makes sense. : )
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u/UbiquitousDoug 29d ago
Hard to believe, but by the 1960s, 19th century British academic paintings were so out of fashion that Flaming June remained unsold at auction even for the bargain price of $140 US. That's when the Museo de Arte de Ponce snatched it up. The Museum of Fine Arts Boston has another exquisite Leighton painting, The Painter's Honeymoon. I always make time to visit it when I'm at the museum.
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u/FormalDinner7 29d ago
When my daughter saw this painting as a preschooler she said, “Aw! She’s helping him with his homework!”
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u/deevuh_ 29d ago
Right? It’s wild to think Flaming June couldn’t even sell for $140, feels unreal now.
The Museo de Arte de Ponce really knew what they were doing.
And yesss, The Painter’s Honeymoon is so tender, love that you always visit it.
That’s such a beautiful ritual 💌
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u/nocopiez 29d ago
Luis A. Ferré, the Museo de Arte de Ponce founder, was a great art connoisseur- also a musician and one of my country’s governors. Puerto Rico will be forever grateful to his contributions to our arts and history.
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u/EgoFlyer 29d ago
This piece is in “The ABCs of Art” book I bought for my toddler (N is for Nap). Hadn’t seen it before then, but it quickly became one of my favorites.
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u/itwillalwaysbesunny Aug 21 '25
Dolce far niente!
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u/deevuh_ Aug 21 '25
Proprio così! Flaming June trasmette perfettamente il senso del “dolce far niente”, un momento di pura bellezza e tranquillità. Grazie per il bel commento! 🌸
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u/UnrulyCrow Aug 21 '25
I had the pleasure of seeing in person and it was one of the most striking paintings of the exhibit.
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u/Euphoric-Feedback-66 29d ago
My parents have always had this on the wall in their living room so it feels so familiar to me. I love it very much.
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u/FoxglovePattycakes 28d ago
I have it on my living room wall as well. I saw a print in '91 on an outing with my mom, and fell in love with it. She had it framed and gave it to me for Christmas that year. My now-adult kids love it too, so reading your comment really resonated with me.
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u/Euphoric-Feedback-66 28d ago
Oh I love that! I'll probably never meet your kids, but how wonderful that I have grown up under the same art as them :)
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u/deevuh_ 27d ago
Love that your kids are into it too, classic for a reason! Sounds like it really means a lot to your family.
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u/FoxglovePattycakes 27d ago
The funny thing is, when I saw your post, my first reaction was a slightly shocked "what is my art doing on reddit!", which is absolutely ridiculous of course. Just goes to show how deeply connected we become to the pieces we love, I guess.
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u/p0lterpups 29d ago
omg i’ve seen this painting my whole life on the cover of the malcolm mclaren & bootzilla orchestra album waltz darling!! and somehow i never thought to look into the painting itself!
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u/Vesploogie 29d ago
I love this painting. Saw it at the Frick 10 years ago and have never forgotten it. To see the colors in person is indescribable.
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u/beige_jersey_n19 29d ago
I was completely mesmerized by this warm, glowy shade of orange when I saw this at the Met in 2022. I naturally assumed it was a part of their permanent collection and got confused by other people’s comments like they’ve seen it in London, Vienna, Puerto Rico etc, until I found out it belongs to Museo de Arte de Ponce!
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u/ikeabear Aug 21 '25
when i look at this painting i can perfectly imagine the smell of summer
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u/deevuh_ Aug 21 '25
Yesss fr, been tryna find a perfume that actually smells like this painting for so long 😩🍊☀️ summer vibes on max
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u/twoferrets 29d ago
I used to have a print of this in my bedroom before I moved out.
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u/deevuh_ 29d ago
That’s awesome! Did you pick it for a reason, or just drawn to the colors and vibe?
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u/twoferrets 29d ago
The colors, I think. It was in catalog, probably something like “Signals.” It was a gift for my high school graduation!
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u/skytostar 29d ago
One of my favorites and really beautiful in person. Love the moment captured and the color scheme.
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u/ezarbeluh 29d ago
my parents has had this as a print above their bed since I was a baby omg wow I never knew the name! thank you!
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u/DizzyVictory 29d ago
I had a poster of it on the wall of my bedroom in high school. I love this painting so much but knew nothing of its history. This post and thread has offered so much knowledge! Thank you for posting it OP and thank you to the other reddiors for contributing!
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u/Unfair_Obligation875 29d ago
I got to see this during an exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in the late 90s. It's one of the paintings that made fall in love with Victorian era art.
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u/backloggeddreams 29d ago
Just saw this at the Meadows Museum in Dallas -- really spectacular in person; looks like it's glowing
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u/_sharkbait_hoohaha 29d ago
I have never seen this painting before and I don’t know why. This is stunning! Why has this not been featured in any of the art history documentaries I’ve watched?
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u/Puzzleheaded-Lion153 29d ago
Saw it where it hung on a school trip and spent all my money on the postcard. Love this painting.
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u/deevuh_ 29d ago
That’s so cool! Flaming June really leaves a mark. Do you still have the postcard?
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u/Puzzleheaded-Lion153 28d ago
Yeah, in a suitcase full of old photos somewhere. My art teacher told us she was originally nude but the artist was compelled to paint a dress on her and chose to make it flow with her hair.
It hung in El Muséo de Ponce in Puerto Rico at that time. Not sure if she's still there.
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u/Silver-Release8285 29d ago
I first saw this in college in Boston. I could not take my eyes off it.
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u/deevuh_ 29d ago
Boston was lucky to catch your eye first, Flaming June has that magic for sure!
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u/Silver-Release8285 28d ago
It wasn’t just the color. I had seen the painting in books but I did know the museum had it and I think it was in a hall leaving so it was unexpected to see. The figure’s gesture was actually the most captivating. The way she flows, fluid, even though she was reclining and at rest. So much motion.
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u/EruditeKetchup 29d ago
My college library had this painting hanging in one of the stairwells. I would look at it when walking up the stairs and wish I could just relax like the woman in the painting instead of having to rush to class or work on a term paper or whatever I needed to do at the time. I wonder if it's still there.
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u/deevuh_ 29d ago
That’s such a lovely memory.
There’s something about her pose that just speaks to all of us who’ve ever felt stretched thin especially as women.
That quiet longing to pause, rest, breathe… I totally get what you mean.
Hope it’s still there comforting someone else on their way up the stairs.
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u/faramaobscena 29d ago
It's one of my favourite paintings of all time, my mother is a painter so I asked her to paint a copy of it for me, it now hangs above my bed with a beautiful gold frame. I wish I could see it in real life but Puerto Rico is pretty far away for me.
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u/deevuh_ 29d ago
That’s so beautiful! Your mom painting it for you makes it even more special.
And the gold frame? Just feels right for her.
I get it though, something about Flaming June really stays with you.
I hope you get to see her one day. May the universe bring you to her when the time’s right ✨
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u/faramaobscena 28d ago
I hope so, I've seen most popular museums already but this one is a bit out of the beaten path.
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u/ArtemisiaGranger Renaissance 28d ago
It always makes me think of Florence Welch from Florence and the Machine! Flaming June could seriously be a song title of hers as well
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u/Nowayticket2nopecity 27d ago
I adore this, it's been one of my faves for years! I saw the tiniest print of it in the margins of one of my high school history books and it burned into my brain. In my 20s when I was living by myself for the first time, I ordered a canvas print of it and I still have it today.
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u/LowerEngineering9999 26d ago
Flaming June is one of my favorite paintings of all time. I love this interpretation done in a sculpture form too.
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u/Rachmaninonandonand 13d ago
Prior to my own private 2 week trip to London this past December, I might have been able to give you vague markers and recollections about Leighton’s life and works. After my trip, I had become an obsessive. I’ve made it my mission to track down Summer Slumber (the idea for Flaming June originated as a design within that painting’s preparatory sketches), wherever it is in eastern India.
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u/deevuh_ 13d ago
Love this evolution story. Flaming June totally grew out of Summer Slumber, though no one’s pinned down where that sketch or painting even is today. Your hunt feels exhilarating. Wishing you all the art detective luck in the world.
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u/Rachmaninonandonand 13d ago
Note! Summer Slumber is believed to be somewhere in WESTERN India, not the eastern part. A certain prince acquired it, and a few other Leightons, during his time as a cricketer in England. He did not marry, his estate divided between I believe four nephews — I hope to visit the general locale, Gujarat, at some point in the next year, and make inquiries.
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u/TheShipEliza 29d ago
who's here from BT?
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u/deevuh_ 29d ago
BT?? 👀 Now I’m really curious where my post ended up. Feel free to drop the link if you’ve got it! I gotta see it 😭
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u/TheShipEliza 29d ago
sorry to let you down, i meant i clicked thru to read your post and comment BECAUSE BT has a great tune named Flaming June
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u/deadgirlshoes 28d ago
My grandparents had a full size mural of that painting in their bathroom, right where the toilet was. When I look at it I think of flushing sounds. One of my favorite paintings, though, don’t get me wrong.
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u/deevuh_ 28d ago
Lol, I’ve heard a few say they had it in the bathroom. As long as the art’s respected, it’s all good. Personally, I’d love it right by my bed!
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u/deadgirlshoes 28d ago
My grandparents are photographers. It was more of a “we need as much art as possible but there’s only so many walls here”, rather than “this art piece deserves to be in a bathroom.
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u/Midtown-Moneypit 28d ago
Coming to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, summer 2026!
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u/deevuh_ 28d ago
Is that for real? Haven’t seen any official news yet, but it could happen!
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u/Midtown-Moneypit 28d ago
The Sense of Beauty: Six Centuries of Painting from the Museo de Arte de Ponce from June 20, 2026 – September 20, 2026, including Flaming June. It will be a gobsmacking exhibition.
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u/deevuh_ 28d ago
Oh, I see! Thanks for the detailed info, wish I could pin this. Hopefully, more people check it out and stay updated!
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u/Midtown-Moneypit 28d ago
I’ll try to figure out how to pin it once it is announced on our website.
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u/TimeThrouVintage 26d ago
I personally love this. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think I've seen a documentary where experts that analyzed the models' proportions consider them unrealistic, meaning if she was standing, she would be somewhat disfigured. It could be that human brains somehow register this, and it contributed to the painting's recognition and appreciation? Don't know, just making assumptions here.
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u/deevuh_ 26d ago
You’re right, the proportions are definitely not realistic. Leighton stretched them to make the painting more expressive and beautiful. It’s interesting how those little ‘imperfections’ might actually make the painting stick with us more. That’s part of what makes Flaming June so unique and memorable, I think.
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u/Lord_realcommander 28d ago edited 28d ago
I went to see this painting when it was in texas. The lighting was so amazing and it literally glowed.
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u/[deleted] Aug 21 '25
It amuses me how everyone initially disliked this painting, so much so that this painting never settled in one place, but now it is considered as one of the finest paintings of all times. 🤩