The Return of Persephone 1890 - 1891

Frederic Leighton made this oil on canvas sketch titled ‘The Return of Persephone’. Painted in Britain, the artwork depicts the moment Persephone returns from the underworld. Note the dramatic use of light and shadow to emphasize the figures. Leighton was a key figure in the Aesthetic movement, which valued beauty and artistic expression above all else. One wonders if this aesthetic was an escape from a rapidly industrializing Victorian England. His art stood in contrast to the growing social problems of the era, from poverty to pollution, and rather than engaging with these issues head-on, Leighton retreated into a world of classical beauty. It’s difficult to not see Leighton’s art as a form of social commentary, even in its escapism. To explore this further, one could look into exhibition catalogs, art journals, and biographies of Leighton. Remember, art doesn't exist in a vacuum. Its meaning is always shaped by the society that produces it.