Artwork
Nicola Pisano (c.1220/1225–c.1284) (design for a mosaic in the Victoria and Albert Museum)
Nicola Pisano (c.1220/1225–c.1284) (design for a mosaic in the Victoria and Albert Museum) is an oil painting by the Aestheticist artist Frederic Leighton. It dates from 1868 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Frederic Leighton’s 1868 oil painting, titled “Nicola Pisano (c.1220/1225–c.1284) (design for a mosaic in the Victoria and Albert Museum),” is part of the collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The work presents a solitary figure in a muted palette, arranged against a warm, yellowish backdrop that emphasizes a restrained, contemplative atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is a man clothed in a long, dark robe with a vivid red cloak draped over his shoulders and a matching red cap. He holds a small statue in his right hand, suggesting a reference to artistic creation or the act of designing a mosaic, aligning the subject with the historical sculptor Nicola Pisano.
Technique & Style
Leighton employs oil paint to achieve subtle tonal variations, allowing the dark garments to recede while the red accents draw the eye. The composition uses chiaroscuro to model the figure’s form, creating a sense of three‑dimensionality within the flat, yellowish background. The overall effect is a sober, measured rendering typical of Leighton’s academic approach.
History & Provenance
Completed in 1868, the painting entered the Victoria and Albert Museum’s holdings, where it remains on display. Its title links the work to a design for a mosaic of the medieval sculptor Nicola Pisano, indicating Leighton’s interest in historic artistic figures and their reinterpretation in Victorian art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton, known as Sir Frederic Leighton between 1878 and 1896, was a British Victorian painter, draughtsman, and sculptor.
Lucia
David: "Oh, that I had wings like a Dove! For then would I fly away, and be at rest." Psalm 55:6
Study for the Ceiling of the Marquand Music Room
The Return of Persephone
The Painter's Honeymoon
Portrait of a Roman Lady (La Nanna)
Acme and Septimius
The Arts of Industry as Applied to War (cartoon for a wall painting in the Victoria and Albert Museum)
- Nicola Pisano (c.1220/1225–c.1284) (design for a mosaic in the Victoria and Albert Museum)
Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) (design for a mosaic in the Victoria and Albert Museum)
Nicola Pisano: design for a mosaic in the Museum (the 'Kensington Valhalla')
Fra Giacomo da Ulma (design for a mosaic in the Victoria and Albert Museum)
Pietro Torrigiano (1472–1522) (design for a mosaic in the Victoria and Albert Museum)
Andrea Mantegna (c.1431–1506) (design for a mosaic in the Victoria and Albert Museum)
Jean Goujon (c.1510–1565) (design for a mosaic in the Victoria and Albert Museum)
Benvenuto Cellini (1500–1571) (design for a mosaic in the Victoria and Albert Museum)
Raphael (1483–1520) (design for a mosaic in the Victoria and Albert Museum, not executed)