Flaming June

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Flaming June
Flaming June

Flaming June is a painting by Frederic Leighton, produced in 1895. Painted with oil paints on a 47" x 47" square canvas, it is widely considered to be Leighton's crowning work, showing Leighton's classicist nature. It is thought that the woman portrayed gestures to the sleeping figures the Greek would often paint which were collectively referred to as Venus.

Flaming June was auctioned in the 1960s, during a period of time known to be difficult for selling Victorian era paintings, where it failed to sell for its low reserve price of 140 USD (140 1960 dollars is about 840 2000 dollars). Afterward, it was promptly purchased by the Ponce Museum of Art in Puerto Rico where it currently resides.

The painting was honored in song by Paul Weller on his "Stanley Road" album, and by Mexican singer Luis Miguel (who was born in Puerto Rico) in his music video for the song "Amarte es un placer".